Asylum in the UK - Kamran & Co Solicitors

Claiming Asylum in the UK An ‘asylum seeker’ is a term given to an individual who, is looking to make or, has made a claim for asylum in the UK but has not yet received a decision on their claim. Once a person is granted asylum in the UK they are known as a ‘refugee’.

1. ClaimingAsylumintheUK
An‘asylumseeker’isatermgiventoanindividualwho,islookingtomakeor,
hasmadeaclaimforasylumintheUKbuthasnotyetreceivedadecisionon
theirclaim.OnceapersonisgrantedasylumintheUKtheyareknownasa
‘refugee’.
AtKamran&CoSolicitorsweunderstandthatclaimingasylumintheUKisoftena
longandemotionallytaxingjourney.Therefore,ourimmigrationexpertsarehere
toassistyouwithyourasylumclaim,makingitassimpleandstress-freeaspossible.
OurlegalprofessionalsatKamran&CoSolicitorsarehighlyexperiencedinasylum
workandtheypridethemselvesonhavingreachednumeroussuccessfuloutcomes
forourvaluedclients.Weguaranteeasafeandconfidentiallegalenvironmentin
whichyoucandiscussyourasylumcase.ContactKamran&CoSolicitorstodayfor
anoobligationconsultationregardingyourimmigrationmatter.
Whataretherequirementsforanasylumclaim?
Youmustevidencethatyouhavea“genuineandwell-founded”fearof
persecutioninyourowncountry.Persecutioninitssimplestformmeansserious
mistreatmentanditcancommonlybeinflictedbythegovernment,official
authorities,policeforcesandgangs,amongstothers.Yourfearofpersecution
mustresultfromyour[imputed]affiliationtooneormoreofthefollowing
‘conventionreasons’:
Race
oCertaincountrieshavehigherauthoritiesthatfavourtheracemost
predominantintheirowncountry.Therefore,migrantsarenot
lookeduponkindlyandcanbesubjecttotorture.
Religion
oIndividualsareoftentargetedforpracticingtheirreligiousbeliefs,
ortheymaybefalselylabeledasacertainreligionandthenface
mistreatmentonthebasisofthatassumption.
Nationality

2. oItisnotuncommonforindividualstofacehostilitybasedontheir
nationalitywheretheyhavemigratedfromanothercountryor
wheretheirbirthcountryisdifferenttothecountrytheylivein.
Politicalopinion
oItmaybethatanindividualopenlysupportedaparticular
Governmentorpoliticalpartyintheirowncountryandasaresult,
theyfacedabuse.
Membershipofasocialgroup
oThemostcommonreasonsforpersecutionunderthisconvention
reasonarethatanindividual’sgenderidentityand/orsexual
orientationwerenotacceptedinthecountrytheyescaped.
Further,youarerequiredtoprovethatyoutriedtoobtainprotectionfromthe
Governmentinyourowncountrybutyouwererejectedanysuchprotection.
Additionally,youmustbeoutsideofyourowncountryi.e.thecountrywhereyou
usedtoliveandarenowfleeing.
Youmustmeetalloftheaboverequirementsinordertoqualifyasarefugee.
Thiscanbeverydifficulttoestablish,especiallywhereyouwereforcedtoleave
yourowncountryinsuddenanddangerouscircumstances.Furthermore,the
HomeOfficecandenyyourasylumclaimwhereyouhaveenteredtheUK
throughasafethirdcountry.
Werecommendthatyouseeklegalassistanceforyourasylummatteratthe
earliestpossibleopportunityduetothesensitiveandcomplexnatureofthisareaof
immigrationlaw.
HowtomakeanasylumclaimintheUK?
1.Timingofclaim
ItisbesttomakeyourasylumclaimuponenteringtheUKforexample,ataport
ofentry.YoumustinformaBorderForceofficerthatyouintendtomakeaclaim
forasylumintheUKandyouwillthenbedirectedtoascreeninginterview.
Whereyoufailtoclaimasylumatthefirstavailableopportunity,theHomeOffice

3. willhavegroundstolaterrefuseyourasylumclaimonthebasisthatyouarenot
inrealdangerofpersecutioninyourowncountry.
Nonetheless,youareentitledtomakeanasylumclaimafteryouhaveentered
theUK.ThiscanbedonebycontactingtheHomeOfficeandarranginga
screeninginterviewattheAsylumScreeningUnit.
2.Screeninginterview
Duringthescreeninginterview,animmigrationofficerwillaskyouarangeof
questionsaboutyourintentiontomakeanasylumclaimintheUK.Inadditionto
this,youwillbeaskedaboutyourmedicalneeds,immigrationstatusand
backgrounddetails.Further,youmayneedtoprovideyourpassport,birth
certificateorotherdocumentaryproofduringthescreeninginterview.The
immigrationofficerwillalsotakeyourbiometricinformationi.e.photographand
fingerprints.Thequestionswillnotbeextensive,asthisinterviewismerelyan
insightintoyourreasoningforanasylumclaimintheUKandyouwillbeasked
toattendasubstantiveinterviewifrequired.
3.Substantiveinterview
Asubstantiveinterviewallowsyoutoprovideevidenceinregardyourasylum
claim.TheHomeOfficewillaskyouaboutthepersecutionthatyouenduredin
yourowncountry,indetail.Youcanexpecttobequeriedonthesmallestof
detailsastheHomeOfficetriestogagetheconventionreason/sbehindyour
asylumclaimandwhetherornotyousoughtprotectionfromofficialsinyour
owncountry.Theinterviewwillbelengthyandtherefore,youcanrequest
breaksorclarificationwhenrequired.Youareentitledtobringalegal
representativeand/orinterpreterwithyoufortheentiretyoftheinterview.
4.Afterthesubstantiveinterview
Afterthesubstantiveinterview,youandyourlegalrepresentativewillhave5
workingdaystochecktheinterviewtranscriptandsubsequently,correctany
errorsthatmayhavebeenmadeortomakeclarifications.Youarealsopermitted
tosubmitnewevidencethatmaysupportyourasylumclaim.

4. Whatarethepotentialoutcomesforanasylumclaim?
Ifyoureceiveapositivedecision,you
willbegrantedeither:
Refugeestatus
Humanitarianprotection
Alternativeleavetoremaini.e.
discretionaryorrestrictedleave
Ifyouaregrantedrefugee
status,youcanstayintheUK
for5years,withtherightto
work,whilstaccessingpublic
benefitsandhousing.Youwill
beissuedwithaBRP.Ifyou
wishtotravel,youshallbe
requiredtoapplyforatravel
document.
Humanitarianprotectionis
largelythesameasrefugee
status.However,youwillnotbe
entitledtoapplyforaRefugee
Conventiontraveldocument.
Ifyoureceiveanegativedecision,it
doesnotnecessarilymeanthatyouwill
bedetainedordeported.Youmightbe
ableto:
Appealthedecision
Submitajudicialreview
ProceedtotheUpperTribunal
Makeafreshclaim(whereyour
appealrightsbecome
exhausted)
Ifyoudecidetoappealthe
decisionataFirst-TierTribunal,
youmustdosowithin14days
fromthedateofthedecision.If
yousucceed,youwillbegranted
refugeestatusoranotherform
ofleaveunlesstheHomeOffice
appealstheoutcome.
Ifyourrefusaldecisionfromthe
HomeOfficedoesnotcontaina
rightofappeal,youcanbringa
judicialreviewofthedecision.

5. ContactKamran&CoSolicitorstodaytoenquireabouttheFamilyReunion
Programme,traveldocumentsandILRasarefugee.Further,pleasenotethatthere
aremultiplestagesandpossibilitiestooptingforanappeal;therefore,expertlegal
adviceandassistanceisoftheessence.
Whatistheasylumprocessforchildasylumseekers?
Whereachildisadependentofanadultasylumseekeri.e.theirparent/s,they
canclaimasylumwiththeirparents.Childrenundertheageof12willnotbe
requiredtoattendaninterviewandtheirparentswillliaisewiththeHomeOffice
ontheirbehalf.
However,unaccompaniedchildrencanseekasylumatanentryportinthesame
mannerthatanadultwould.AnunaccompaniedchildwillbeeligibleforLegal
Aidandhence,willbeprovidedwiththerequisitelegalrepresentativefortheir
interview.Childrenundertheageof12arenotlikelytoberequiredtoattendan
interview.Anunaccompaniedchildseekingasylumwillgothroughthefollowing
process:
Attendawelfareinterview
Attendasubstantiveinterview(ifovertheageof12)
HomeOfficereachesadecision
Ifrefusedasylum,itdoesnotalwaysequatetodeportationordetainment
–usuallywillreceiveUASCleave
Ifrefused,canappealthedecision
Howlongdoesittaketoreachadecisiononanasylumclaim?
Asylumclaimsarecurrentlytaking6monthstoprocess.However,itmaytake
longerwhereyoulacksupportingevidenceorhaveacomplicatedclaim.
Kamran&CoSolicitorsareexperiencedinasylumlawandtherefore,youcan
contactusregardlessofwhatstageyouareatinyourasylummatter.Wearehere
toprovideyouwithexpertadvicewhetheryouwishtoinitiateanasylumclaim,
appealadecisionorsubmitafreshclaim.ContactusatKamran&CoSolicitors
todaytodiscussyourasylumcasewithourimmigrationexperts.