Ukrainian Asylum Seekers In The UK: Legal Support

Overview

The registration of an asylum claim is done at the screening interview. This interview will be conducted as a meeting with an immigration officer, during which the applicant informs them of their case.

This interview is conducted at the UK border, as long as the applicant registers to claim asylum as soon as they arrive in the UK, which is highly recommended. The applying individual can also be screened for asylum once they enter the UK if they become eligible to do so.

At the screening interview, asylum seekers should expect the following:

• • Have their photo taken (biometrics).
  • Have their fingerprints taken (biometrics).
  • Have an interview that will check over who the individual is and where they are from.

During the interview, the immigration officer will ask why the individual wishes to claim asylum. It is beneficial to bring written evidence to this interview to support the claim, as well as supporting documents.

During this process, the applicant will need to inform the immigration officer if they, or any of their dependents, are taking any medication and provide relevant medical information regarding this.

Screening Conducted At The UK Border

If applying upon arrival in the UK, the applicant needs to tell a Border Force office that they intend to claim asylum. The application will be registered, and the individual will be screened at this point. If an interpreter is required, be sure to ask for one at this point.

Screening Conducted In The UK

If the individual making an asylum claim is already in the UK, they need to call up the asylum intake unit. They will then call the applicant back and ask some basic questions regarding them and their family. At this point, the applicant will not be questioned regarding the reasons for claiming asylum during this stage.

At this point, the individual may be asked whether or not they need assistance with housing and may even be asked questions regarding Covid-19.

The call should take 30 minutes, and the number to call for this is 0300 123 4193.

If the applying individual has nowhere to live, they do not need to make an appointment; instead, they can call up the asylum intake unit to find out which asylum registration location they should attend as well as its opening hours.

If any dependents on the claim need to be present at any stage of the applicant’s registration for asylum, then the primary applicant will need to inform the asylum intake unit of this. This includes welfare interviews if the applicant is a child and needs to be accompanied. It is also possible to ask for an interpreter at the screening.

Be aware that appointments may be at temporary locations.

The Appointment

If the applicant is helping a child register their asylum claim, only the child and applicant can attend their appointment with them. It is best to be prepared for an application also, and therefore, applicants should be sure to prepare any documents needed for the application and bring them to the appointment.

Applicants who have dependents applying with them need to bring these dependents along with them. This includes children under 18 years of age or a partner.

Do not show up without an appointment booked, as you may be asked to come back another day. Also, it is not possible to get financial aid for assistance in travelling to or from an asylum intake unit.

Documents Required

It is essential to ensure that all documents required are prepared for an asylum screening interview. Applicants should prepare all relevant documents for themselves and any dependents applying alongside them.

The documents that should be brought along to an asylum screening interview (if you have them) are as follows:

• Passports and travel documents.
• ID documents, such as ID cards, birth certificates, marriage certificates, and school records.
• Any documentation that will aid in the application process and help you prove your case

Documents To Prove UK Address If Already In The UK

Those who are already in the UK, with or without dependents, will need to bring along documentation to prove their address in the UK. Different documents will be required depending on whether the applicant is living in their accommodation or if they are staying with someone else.

Those who are living in their accommodations will need to provide the following documentation:

• Bank statements.
• Housing benefit books.
• Tenancy agreements.
• Council tax notice.
• Household bills.

Those who are living with someone else will need to provide the following documentation:

• A recent letter that is less than three months old from the person that the applicant is staying with confirms that the applicant has this person’s permission to stay.
• Documents that show the full name and address of the individual that the applicant is staying with could be a council tax notice, a tenancy agreement, or a household bill.

Overview

Those who claim asylum successfully will be granted refugee status, and therefore the asylum support and types of section 4 support will stop 28 days after this decision has been made. This means that those who obtain refugee status will:

• Stop receiving a cash allowance.
• Need to move houses if they have been given somewhere to live as asylum seekers.

Once they have obtained refugee status, they will be permitted to work in the UK. They will be able to work in any profession and at any skill level. If they are not ready or able to look for work, or if they have little or no income, they can apply to get benefits instead.

Refugees will also need to consider opening a bank account and getting a national insurance number. Once the individual is granted migrant status, the Home Office will inform an organisation called ‘migrant help’, which is an organisation that can help those in need find housing, get benefits, and arrange an appointment with the jobcentre to obtain work. Migrant Help will contact an individual within a working day of being informed of a migrant’s status.

Finding A Home

If an applicant has been living somewhere as a part of asylum support, they will be required to move within 28 days of being given refugee status. If they are already living with family or friends, there is no need to move.

To get help obtaining housing, an applicant can contact their local council or housing office. The Home Office will not provide refugees with accommodation, but a local council can inform individuals of their options.

The ability to stay in the same area is dependent on how long they have lived there, if they have family in the area, and the risk of homelessness. There are often waiting lists, however.

Working

Those who are ready to look for work can search online and can also receive assistance if they apply for benefits

Benefits Claims

Some refugees are entitled to benefits. The options include:

• Universal Credit: For those who are unemployed.
• Pension Credit: For those over the state pension age.
• Housing benefits: for help in paying for rent over the state pension age or in supported or temporary housing.
• Refugee integration loans: to pay for rent deposits, household items, training for work, and education.

A national insurance number is required to claim benefits, however. When first claiming asylum, applicants will have applied for one. This is a series of numbers and letters that are necessary to register with a doctor and to pay taxes.