Asylum and Refugee Integration Developments
Refugee Council own-language telephone advice service
The regional Refugee Council office in Ipswich has closed for drop-in advice and instead addresses clients' enquiries via a confidential telephone service, free of charge from landlines and the main six UK mobile phone networks, in the language of their choice. The service is available Monday to Friday 9.30-5.00, but is closed on Wednesday afternoon and at the weekend. Clients will be given advice over the telephone and if necessary be given an appointment to be seen at the nearest local Refugee Council site. The telephone number is: 0808 808 2255.
Please download and print this leaflet to give to refugees and asylum seekers in the East of England Refugee Council Leaflet
Settlement protection
As refugees are only granted a limited period of time to remain in the UK if their asylum application is successful, the first people to be granted five years leave to remain in the UK reached the end of their entitlement to stay in August 2010. Those still needing humanitarian protection should apply for indefinite leave to remain, using forms available on the UKBA website. See document below and follow the link for more information.
Settlement-Protection-Applications doc Feb 2010
UKBA wepage:leave to remain
Early legal advice project (ELAP)
Since 15 November 2010, the Legal Services Commission and UKBA have been jointly running a pilot project in the East and Midlands regions to change when and how asylum seekers are given legal advice. The initial legal interview between asylum seeker, UKBA caseworker and legal adviser has been put back to give the legal adviser time to gather evidence supporting the material facts of the claim. The hope is that this approach will make for better quality decisions on claims being made earlier. The Immigration Minister has tasked UKBA and the Legal Services Commission to continue the pilot for another twelve months, from March 2011, while UKBA continues to evaluate the pilot, with it finalised in early 2013.
The Eastern region has been chosen as a pilot area because it presents a geographically challenging area, with clusters of asylum seekers not always where legal advice is present, necessitating travel for interviews by advisers and clients. Please follow the link for a FAQ sheet about ELAP.
ELAP FAQs
UKBA schemes to avoid detaining families with children - effective from March 2011
UKBA's preferred approach is to focus on voluntary removals of those whose asylum claims have been exhausted (assisted return). If families decline this help, then they are served removal directions and can 'self check-in' to comply with this direction (required return). If families fail to comply with these directions, their case will be presented to UKBA's Family Returns Panel for the panel to devise a bespoke approach to return the family (ensured return).
Interim Family Returns Panel
The panel has two new routes of return which UKBA is piloting:
- Limited notice of removal
Families are given written notice that they will be removed but told that it will be within 21 days of receipt of the letter, but not within the first 72 hours. This makes it possible for the family to pack but less easy to be absent from the home to avoid removal as the time frame is so wide.
Limited Notice of Removal
- Open accommodation
Families who are receiving section 4 or section 95 support in the pilot areas in the North West and London are given 7 days notice that they are to be sent to new accommodation in Thornton Heath, Croydon. Whilst they do not have to comply, they will no longer receive asylum support at their old accommodation - they will only receive support in Thornton Heath. The accommodation is solely for the use of families, and they are free to come and go whilst staying there. However, removal directions will be served on them once they are in Thornton Heath. The welfare of the children in this setting will be supported by the children's charity, Barnardos.
Open Accommodation process
INTEGRATION
UK Border Agency's strategy on refugee integration and resettlement
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) published a Government report on refugee integration, 'Moving on Together: Government's recommitment to supporting refugees' in 2009. The report explained how amongst others the UKBA, other government departments and the UK Refugee Council work together to help refugees achieve their full potential in the United Kingdom.
Please follow this link to read the latest approaches to integration from UKBA
UKBA integration strategy and service
Changing Lives: A Longitudinal Study into the impact of mentoring on refugee integration
Independent qualitative research on Time Together has concluded that its mentoring has been highly successful in facilitating the integration of refugees.
Changing Lives (331KB - PDF)
Seeking Support a guide to the rights and entitlements of separated refugees and asylum seeking children
This is a guide for young asylum seekers and refugees (and those who support them), outlining young people's legal rights and entitlements in Britain, produced by the Coram Children's Legal Centre.
Click on the link for further information: Seeking Support guide for separated refugees and asylum seeking children.
Advising for Adaptation
A guide from NIACE on providing personal adviser mediated IAG, careers and skills adaptation support for migrants and refugees.
Advising for adaptation (1.1MB - PDF)
WOMEN
ICAR Briefing: Women refugees and asylum seekers in the UK
This briefing addresses four key issues relating to refugee women: the introduction of gender guidelines, female genital mutilation (FGM), the trafficking of women and women in detention.
ICAR Briefing (431KB - PDF)
Leaflets for women asylum seekers
In 2006 the Refugee Women's Resource Project at Asylum Aid circulated leaflets for women asylum seekers, which have since been updated to explain the New Asylum Model. The new versions are available in refugee community languages for free download. The leaflets are intended for women asylum seekers who are at the beginning of the asylum claim process as they explain the Home Office policy for determining women's asylum claims. The Home Office has them displayed at their Asylum Screening Units and members of the Inter Agency Partnership have been using them in induction packs and displaying them in waiting areas.
Please follow this link to the relevant page of Asylum Aid's website, where you can select the leaflet in one of twelve languages
Asylum Aid leaflets for women
ASSISTED VOLUNTARY RETURN PROGRAMME (AVR)
The Assisted Voluntary Return Programme (AVR) is the United Kingdom's generic voluntary return programme for those in the asylum system and those with temporary status in the United Kingdom who wish to return voluntarily and permanently to their country of origin or to a third country to which they are admissible, and is funded by the European Return Fund. Until 2011, the AVR schemes were operated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), an independent inter-governmental organisation. However, from 1 April 2011, Refugee Action will run the service. Follow this link for details of their service: Refugee Action AVR service
Anyone interested in returning voluntarily should contact the Refugee Action Choices service freephone number 0808 800 0007
Please follow this link to access applications under the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration programme (VARRP), Assisted Voluntary Return for Families and Children (AVRFC) and Assisted Voluntary Return for Irregular Migrants (AVRIM). Applications for AVR