Claiming Asylum in the UK
If you are in danger in your own country and you manage to escape, you may be eligible to apply for asylum within the UK. This page explains everything you need to know about what asylum is and how you can apply for it.
Recent statistics show that hundreds of people around the world apply for asylum in the UK every day. The UK government handles over 150,000 applicants annually1, with each application representing one family. The process is tricky and takes time. The number of applicants rises with each global conflict or world disaster.
If you are in the unfortunate position of needing asylum to protect your family’s life, then the UK is a good country to seek refuge within. The first step to applying for asylum in the UK should be to find yourself a capable lawyer with expertise in your field. An asylum lawyer, deportation lawyer, or visa lawyer, can help you.
Process your asylum application in 3 easy steps with us:
1. Get in Touch
Contact us and tell us about your asylum case. The initial consultation is always free and with no obligation to engage afterwards. Give as much information as you can. The more info you can provide, the better chance of resolving your issue.
2. Build Your Case
Avoid the stress. Our asylum experts can do all the legal work for you. Gather and provide necessary documents with the advice provided by one of our asylum solicitors.
3. Success
Let us do the hard work. Remove anxiety by having our asylum lawyer guide you and process your visa for you. We will keep you in the loop every step of the way from the start of your case to the very end.
Get in touch with one of our immigration experts
Use the online chat on our website
Call us on 020 8578 7778
E-mail us contact@silveroaksolicitors.com
Visit us at our office. We are open Monday-Friday 9am - 5.30pm
When you first contact us, we will ask for some initial details. You can be assured that everything you discuss with us will be completely confidential, and any information stored by us will be in accordance with UK data protection regulations.
What is Asylum?
Claiming asylum in the UK means you seek refuge within Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, or Wales, as a refugee. Obtaining refugee status is a formal process if you want to remain in the UK. To claim asylum in the UK, you must be unable to return to your own country out of fear of persecution.
Those seeking asylum should apply for UK refugee status as soon as they step foot on UK soil. If possible, applying before then will strengthen your case. The longer you wait, the less likely that the government will grant you permission to remain. If you have been in the country a long time before you apply for your visa, or if the UK government tracks you down as an illegal immigrant, you will need to seek legal representation immediately otherwise they will deport you.
Who can apply for Asylum?
To claim asylum in the UK, you must be unable to return to your own country out of fear of harm. If you don’t think this applies to your situation, you can choose to get a visa, instead. Both will allow you to remain in the UK.
There are certain types of ‘persecution’ that the UK government approve of for asylum applicants. Your nationality, race, religion, politics, or social situation must put you at risk in your own country. In addition, you should have already sought help from the governing body in your own country. They must refuse you, causing you to seek help elsewhere.
Children who are fleeing without an adult to supervise them will be considered for asylum status. This helps place some of the orphans of war. Whether you are a child or an adult seeking asylum, hiring a UK immigration lawyer will give you the best opportunity to achieve a successful outcome.
How do I apply for Asylum in the UK?
Once you arrive in the UK, you need to register your interest with the UK government as an asylum seeker. This starts with the border crossing. When you reach the UK, you must declare to border officials that you are here to seek asylum. They will arrange a screening for you. This is an interview with an overworked, and often underpaid, asylum officer. They take your details and assess your situation. They will take your fingerprints and record your identification documents.
During this interview, you must explain why you cannot return to your own country. If you have any supporting evidence, you can present it here. Supporting evidence might be evidence of religion in persecuted countries, documents that threaten you, or images on your mobile phone.
It is far too easy to get ‘lost’ in the UK asylum seeking system. The UK government operates behind schedule all the time. Asylum applications can take years to process, especially if you don’t stand out. The simplest way to make your application go faster is by hiring an immigration lawyer to represent you.
Why do you need a solicitor to apply for Asylum?
The UK government will prosecute you if they find that you have given false information on your asylum application. You can receive two years in prison if you lie about your status in your home country. This law stops fake applications for refugee status taking valuable time and resources away from the people who are in real danger. Hiring a solicitor makes you aware of this from the outset.
Having a representative of the law on your side could help sway opinions about your situation during your asylum interviews. Immigration lawyers can protect your rights from the outset of your asylum application. They ensure you have an interpreter when you need one, and that you always fully understand what is happening.
How long does the UK Government take to process Asylum applications?
The UK government aims to process each application within 6 months. This is not always possible. Asylum seeker numbers have increased by 77% in the last three years and keeping up with the volume of cases is difficult2.
You should apply with your family if you are travelling as one unit. Otherwise, your partner or children may have their applications approved before or after you. Some family members applications could be refused altogether.
Remember, hiring a immigration lawyer makes sure the officials take your application seriously. They will process it faster if a lawyer is regularly calling them for status reports.
Where do I wait while my Asylum application is processed?
While you are waiting for the decision, you can remain in the UK. Ask border officials to connect you with housing resources. The UK government will help you find housing during your wait, but you are not permitted to work. You may need to check in with a local immigration office while you are here. Otherwise, you may wait in Asylum accommodation centres.
Do the UK Government ever refuse Asylum applications?
The UK government will not consider your claim for asylum in the UK if you do not meet their requirements as a persecuted refugee. If the country you are fleeing from is regarded as ‘safe’ or is within the EU, they may refuse you. EU citizens can remain in the UK for 6 months before they must apply to remain. When they do apply to remain, it should be through the visa process.
With regards to safe third countries, the UK government may ask you to claim refugee status in a safe third country in which you have relatives. For example, if you are fleeing a war torn country and have relatives in France, the UK government may ask you to apply to France instead.
The UK government defines a safe third country as one that you are not a citizen of and that you would not be harmed in. On occasion, they will question why you passed through other European countries on your way to claim asylum in the UK.
Hiring an immigration solicitor is the best way to represent your case for asylum in the UK and offers you the best chance of attaining a success application.
Contact SilverOak Solicitors today for professional help with seeking asylum.
1,2 Refugee Council, 2022: https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/information/refugee-asylum-facts/top-10-facts-about-refugees-and-people-seeking-asylum/
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Our Fees
In most instances, we operate on a Fixed Fee basis for working on your case. This means that we will agree our fees with you before we start the case and they will not change. Please note that our quoted prices are only for our professional services fees. Our prices do not include any payments that need to be made by you to a third party such as the Home Office, Court Service, UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service (UKCAS), experts or interpreters if required.
In some circumstances, the fees may be lower or higher than the prices listed below depending on the nature/complexity of the matter, whether the applicant has been refused previously and the anticipated amount of time involved. Should an uplift be needed, that will be agreed before the work is undertaken and the reason/s for it explained.
All professional fees include time for preparation and submission of immigration applications, submissions and appeals. The fees include: remote and in-person client meetings, consideration of documents, the taking of instructions and providing advice on the options available, law & procedure, documentary requirement, likely timescales, corresponding with other parties/experts/the Home Office/courts, keeping you updated and preparing and submitting the application/submissions/appeal as appropriate.
Our fees also cover alerting you to any changes in the law which may have an impact on your circumstances during the course of your matter. Should urgent and/or “out of hours” work need to be undertaken, an uplift may be applied which we would agree with you.
