You must apply for asylum if you want to stay in the UK as a refugee.

To be eligible, you must have left your country and be unable to go back because you fear persecution.

if you want to come to the UK for another reason (for example to work, study or remain with family).

You should apply when you arrive in the UK or as soon as you think it would be unsafe for you to return to your own country. Your application is more likely to be refused if you wait.

You can get up to 2 years in prison or have to leave the UK if you give false information on your application.

Waiting for your decision

You’ll be told after your screening what you must do while you’re waiting for your asylum decision, for example report to a caseworker regularly (known as ‘reporting events’).

You must tell the authorities if your situation changes.

You will not usually be allowed to work while your asylum claim is being considered.

Eligibility

To stay in the UK as a refugee you must be unable to live safely in any part of your own country because you fear persecution there.

If you’re stateless, your own country is the country you usually live in.

This persecution must be because of:

· your race

· your religion

· your nationality

· your political opinion

· anything else that puts you at risk because of the social, cultural, religious or political situation in your country, for example, your gender, gender identity or sexual orientation

You must have failed to get protection from authorities in your own country.

When your claim might not be considered

Your claim might not be considered if you:

· are from an EU country

· travelled to the UK through a ‘safe third country’

· have a connection to a safe third country where you could claim asylum

Generally, a safe third country is one that:

· you’re not a citizen of

· you would not be harmed in

· would not send you on to another country where you would be harmed

Family members

You can include your partner and your children under 18 as ‘dependants’ in your application if they’re with you in the UK.

If your application is successful, any dependants named on it can usually stay for the same amount of time as you. They will not get refugee status unless they make their own claim for asylum.

Refugee status means someone is protected by the Refugee Convention. They can, for example, apply for family reunion or apply for a refugee integration loan.

Documents you must provide

You’ll need documents for yourself and your dependants (partner and children under 18) for your asylum screening.

Documents you should bring (if you have them) include:

· passports and travel documents

· identification documents, for example identity cards, birth and marriage certificates or school records

· anything you think will help your application

Documents to prove your UK address

If you’re already in the UK, you and your dependants must bring documents that prove your UK address.

You’ll need different documents depending on whether you’re living in your own accommodation or staying with someone else.

Living in your own accommodation

You’ll need to provide documents showing your full name and address. This could be a:

· bank statement

· housing benefit book

· council tax notice

· tenancy agreement

· household bill

Staying with someone else

You’ll need to provide:

· a recent letter (less than 3 months old) from the person you’re staying with to confirm you have their permission to stay

· documents showing the full name and address of the person you’re staying with, like a council tax notice, tenancy agreement or household bill

Register your asylum claim

You register your asylum claim at a ‘screening’. This is a meeting with an immigration officer where you tell them about your case.

You’ll have your screening at the UK border if you claim asylum as soon as you arrive. You can also be screened once you’re in the UK if you become eligible for asylum.

At your screening you’ll:

· be photographed

· have your fingerprints taken

· have an interview to check who you are and where you’re from

You’ll be asked why you want asylum. You can bring written evidence to support your claim if you want, as well as any other documents you need.

You’ll need to say if you or your dependants are taking any medication and give any relevant medical information.

You can ask for a male or female interviewer, but your choice might not always be available.

Screening at the UK border

You must tell a Border Force officer that you want to claim asylum.

Your application will be registered and you’ll be screened - ask for an interpreter if you need one.

Screening in the UK

You must call the asylum intake unit if you’re already in the UK.

They’ll call you back and ask simple questions about you and your family. You will not be asked why you’re claiming asylum during this telephone call.

Tell the asylum intake unit if you need any other dependants on your claim to be present at any stage of your asylum registration, for example the welfare interview, or if you’re a child and need to be accompanied. You can ask to have an interpreter at your screening.

At the end of the call, you may be offered a screening appointment.

If you have nowhere to live

You’ll still need to call the asylum intake unit appointments line.

They’ll call you back and you may be told to attend a screening appointment or to go to a ‘walk-in’ service at an asylum registration location.

If the asylum registration location does not know you’re coming you may not be seen.

Attending your appointment

Because of coronavirus, attend your appointment alone or with any dependants claiming asylum with you.

If you’re helping a child register their own asylum claim, only you can go with them to their appointment.

You must also bring any dependants (partner and children under 18) who are claiming asylum with you.

If you show up without an appointment, you may be asked to come back another day.

You cannot get financial help for travel to or from the asylum intake unit.

Tell the appointment service if your situation changes before your appointment date, for example if you can no longer stay where you are living.

After your screening

After your screening, the Home Office will review your case and decide whether it can be considered in the UK.

You’ll be sent an asylum registration card (ARC) to your UK address, unless you’ve been detained.

If the Home Office cannot send you an ARC immediately, they’ll send you an appointment letter telling you what to do next.

You might also be sent an asylum questionnaire. If you get one, fill it in and return it by the deadline - the address and deadline are written on the letter that comes with the questionnaire. If you cannot fill it in, call the Home Office asylum team. Their phone number is on the letter.

If your case can be considered in the UK, it will be given to a caseworker.

If your case cannot be considered in the UK

You may be sent to a safe country that will consider your asylum claim. This might happen if you’ve travelled to the UK through a safe third country or you have a connection with another country that you could claim asylum in.

Generally, a safe country is one that:

· you’re not a citizen of

· you would not be harmed in

· would not send you on to another country where you would be harmed

The Home Office can decide to send you to a safe country after your screening or your asylum interview.

If the Home Office cannot place you in another safe country, your case will be considered in the UK and given to a caseworker.

Your ARC

The ARC shows you’ve applied for asylum. You can use it to:

· show who you are

· show whether you have permission to work

· get health or education services

You must take your ARC with you when you go to your reporting events.

If you do not have your ARC

Contact the Home Office using the online form if you have any problems - for example:

· you’ve not got your ARC through the post

· you’ve lost it

· it’s been stolen

· it’s expired

You’ll be asked to give your Home Office or port reference number, and your ARC reference (if you know it).

Being detained

You may be detained at an immigration removal centre while you wait for a decision on your application.

You’ll either be:

· released if you get permission to stay in the UK

· held until you’re removed from the UK if you do not get permission to stay

You can also be detained and removed if it’s decided that another country is responsible for offering you asylum.

You may be able to appeal against the decision.

When you will not be detained

You will not usually be detained if:

· you’re a child

· you’re elderly

· you’re a family with children

· you’re pregnant

· you’re accepted as being a victim of trafficking

· you’re able to provide independent evidence of torture

· you have a mental or physical condition that cannot be managed or would present a risk to others in an immigration removal centre

Cancel your asylum claim

Email the Home Office as soon as possible if you want to stop your asylum claim. For example, because you get another type of permission to stay.

Asylum central communications hub asylumcentralcommunicationshub@homeoffice.gov.uk

Asylum interview

Your asylum interview will usually take place soon after your screening.

You may be granted protection status without having to attend an interview. This will happen if there is enough evidence from your screening and your questionnaire, if you did one.

Your application will usually be withdrawn if you do not go to your asylum interview. You’ll have to apply again if you still want to stay in the UK.

You’ll get a letter telling you when and where to attend your interview.

If your partner or children under 18 were included in your application as ‘dependants’ they may also need to attend an interview. The letter will tell you if they do.

The interview

You’ll usually be interviewed alone, without your family members. An interpreter will be provided, if you need one.

The information you provide will be confidential and will not be shared with the authorities in your own country.

Use this interview to explain:

· how you were persecuted in your country

· why you’re afraid to go back to your country

You may be asked questions about difficult topics but it’s important that you explain what has happened to you and your family.

You must tell the caseworker everything you want them to consider or it can count against you.

Your caseworker will make notes in a document called an ‘interview record’. You’ll get a copy of this at the end of the interview.

Most asylum interviews happen over video calls. The audio will be recorded, and you’ll receive a copy of the recording after the interview.

Evidence you’ll need

You’ll need to send the following documents to the Home Office by post, if you have them:

· birth certificate

· passport

· national ID card

These need to be the original versions and not copies. You should also send these identity documents for any dependants included in your application.

If you cannot send your identity documents and evidence before your interview, you’ll need to send them after. You may be asked to send extra evidence to your caseworker after the interview if they think it might help your application.

If you're under 18

This information is for children applying on their own.

If you have an adult relative who’s claiming asylum you should apply as part of that relative’s application instead.

You’re not in the care of social services

If you have an adult who is legally responsible for you

The adult who is taking responsibility for your care must attend the walk-in service at the asylum intake unit with you.

If you’re living with several relatives the closest blood relative willing to take responsibility for you must attend.

The adult must provide proof of address and photo ID (passport or driving licence).

If you do not have an adult who is legally responsible for you

You should go to the police or social services, or you can walk into the asylum intake unit.

You’ll need the following information when you book your appointment:

· your name, date of birth and nationality

· the number on your passport or national identity document, if you have one - or the number on your birth certificate if you do not

· your foster carer’s name and contact details

· details of any medical conditions you have