Empowering Volunteers: Understanding Asylum and Refugee Support

1. LASSN Volunteer Training WELCOME

2. Introductions • Name • What project you are volunteering for • Why did you get involved with LASSN • One obscure/interesting fact about yourself

3. Agenda Morning • Introductions • The Asylum journey English at Home Case studies Scenarios 1 to 1 teaching Teaching materials Befriending Good friend Case studies Scenarios Afternoon • Case studies • Scenarios • Evaluation Finish around 3.30 Grace Hosting

4. Housekeeping and ground rules

5. What do people believe? … we are being flooded … everyone comes for the benefits … everyone is bogus … asylum seekers are terrorist & criminals … the UK is the number one destination for asylum seekers

6. What do we believe? • People are mis-informed • Informed people are sympathetic • Informed people are supportive • Informed people are generous

7. Where do refugees come from? 2011

8. How many refugees do you think applied to stay in the UK in 2009? • Around 5,000 6% • Around 25,000 23% Actual • Around 100,000 31% • Around 200,000 23% • More than 500,000 18%

9. Where do refugees go? 2011

10. Definition of a refugee • A refugee is as a person who has fled … due to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of • race • religion • nationality • membership of a particular social group • or political opinion Article 1, The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

11. Different types of refugee protection • Refugee status • falls within the 1951 Convention definition • given 5 years to remain - extension or revocation after this • Prior to 2005 people were given Indefinite Leave to Remain • Humanitarian Protection (HP)/ Discretionary Leave • does not meet the 1951 Convention definition • But to return the person would violate the UK’s obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998, particularly article 3 (torture and inhuman and degrading treatment) or if the return would be unlawful or inappropriate • Granted for up to 3 years (although after this period it may be reviewed as to whether further protection is required).

12. Migration in the UK - 2011 Population in 2011 = 62,641,000 Arrivals into the UK 566,000 Departures from the UK 350,000 Net migration 216,000 asylum seekers 25,459 (incl dependants) Source:Migration Statistics Quarterly Report August 2012 | 30 August 2012

13. Asylum applications to the UK

14. Asylum in the UK 2011 19,804 New claims for Asylum in the UK 10,521 Asylum Appeals decided 5,684 decisions to remain(32% of decisions) 2,785 Appeals allowed (26% of appeals) 8,469 allowed to settle in UK 454 Refugees through resettlement Source: Home Office, Control of immigration: quarterly statistical summary

15. Definitions • Asylum Seeker – Someone who is fleeing persecution and has arrived in another country exercising their right to claim asylum • Refugee – Someone whose application has been successful and they are given the right to remain in the country they have sought asylum in • Refused asylum seeker – some whose claim has been refused and currently does not have an outstanding case • Economic Migrant – Someone who has chosen to travel to another country to seek employment

16. Asylum journey in the UK

17. Asylum Support • UKBA supports adults and families • accommodation (inclusive of bills) • weekly cash support (section 95) • Local authority supports unaccompanied children

18. Detention All asylum seeking adults and families are “Liable to be detained” • There is no statutory limit to the length of immigration detention • The decision to detain is made by an immigration officer or a case owner and is not automatically subject to independent review at any stage • The coalition government committed to ending the detention of children. At present they are running immigration removal pilots into alternatives

19. Asylum journey in the UK

20. Section 4 support • Taking all reasonable steps to leave the UK • Unable to leave the UK by reason of a physical impediment to travel or for some other medical reason, e.g. late stage of pregnancy • Unable to leave the UK because there is no viable route of return available • Have made an application for judicial review of a decision in relation to their asylum claim. • Require support in order to avoid a breach of a person’s rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, e.g. submitted a fresh claim

21. Section 4 support • Accommodation (including bills) • £35.39 credited each week to the Azure card • NO CASH • Additional credits available for small children & pregnant women

22. Destitution • Refugees • Refused asylum seekers, cannot get section 4 or social services support • Cannot return to their home country • Cannot get travel documents • Stateless – no country will accept them • UK Government policy

23. Access to healthcare, Aug 2011 Refugee • access to all health care, same as any other resident Asylum seekers, refused asylum seekers appealing or on section 4, people who have been trafficked • entitled to register with a GP (at GP discretion) and to receive free NHS hospital treatment • exempt from charges for health care and prescriptions – need UKBA certificate HC2 Refused Asylum Seeker • Treatment already underway is completed free of charge • Prescriptions – need low income certificate HC1 • Other treatment will be charged Services free services to all • Accident and emergency • Family planning • Certain diseases (TB, Measles, pandemic flu) • Treatment for sexually transmitted diseases but HIV/AIDS only initial test and counselling • Mental health treatment under court order

24. Legal Advice Asylum seekers are entitled to FREE legal representation from: • A solicitor, or • An adviser who is officially regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC)

25. Any questions