Your Asylum Claim

The Asylum Process in the UK can be complicated, however there are resources available to help you understand this process to navigate your asylum claim. When you enter the UK and claim asylum, you will have an initial screening interview. To begin with, if you have nowhere to live, you will usually be placed in temporary initial accommodation by the Home Office (called ‘section 98 support’).

Next, after some months (or maybe even a year), you will be moved to new, less temporary, accommodation, usually a flat or shared house, somewhere else in the country. This is a policy called ‘dispersal’ and is a Government policy that was introduced to spread the cost of providing asylum support to local authorities across the UK. If you have been directed to this website it is likely that you have been dispersed to Blackburn with Darwen. You will now qualify for what is known as section 95 support, which is housing plus approximately £49.18 per week for each person.

After this point you will have a Substantive Interview, which is when a Home Office interviewer will ask you in detail about your reasons for claiming asylum. The interview may last several hours and you will be asked lots of questions. Unfortunately, it is quite common to experience a significant delay in receiving a decision on your asylum claim. The Home Office may take months, or even over a year to provide you with a decision.

If the Home Office makes a positive decision on your asylum claim, you will be granted leave to remain (immigration status) in the UK. If your asylum claim is refused by the Home Office, you are likely to have the right to appeal that decision. Right to Remain have created an easy to use guide to understand each step of the asylum process, including potential problems that may arise at each stage. To read more about this, please click here.

Throughout this process, the United Kingdom Government Guidance states that as an asylum applicant in the UK, you have the right to:

• Be treated fairly and lawfully regardless of your race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation or any disability
• Practise your own religion, and you are expected to show respect for people of other faiths
• Have your application considered fairly and accurately
• Have access to support and accommodation if you meet the requirements for it
• Have access to free health care from the National Health Service (NHS)
• Have legal representation. Free legal help may be available, depending on your income and your case. Your caseworker can tell you more about this.

There are different types of leave to remain, depending on your circumstances. Once you have received Leave to Remain you have until your visa expiry date to stay in the UK. If you would like to stay beyond your expiry date you can apply for Further Leave to Remain and extend your visa. Alternatively, once you have stayed in the UK for your allowed amount of time you may be eligible to settle in the UK permanently, which you can do by applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain. Indefinite Leave to Remain will allow you to live in the UK without any restrictions and is the first step towards full citizenship. To understand more about leave to remain and British Citizenship, please click here.

There are five core British Values which include Democracy, The Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Mutual Respect and the Tolerance of Different Faiths and Beliefs. They serve the foundations of British society.

Various types of support may be available to you, depending on your circumstances. For more information, see Asylum support and Help and advice. You will not normally be allowed to work whilst your asylum application is being considered. For more information, see Employment.

You may be able to access legal advice through nearby legal solicitors, however you may need to travel to nearby areas such as Manchester, Liverpool or Cheshire.  You can search the Law Society to find an advisor near you.