Asylum Process and Refugee Integration Definitions

As a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the United Kingdom has a legal obligation to consider all applications for asylum, or sanctuary, made in this country. Under the UN Convention anyone has the right to ask for asylum in another country if they are suffering persecution in their own.

In this region integration work with asylum seekers and refugees is led by the East of England Local Government Association's Strategic Migration Partnership.

Who is an asylum seeker?
In the UK we define an 'asylum seeker', as someone who has fled to the UK, lodged an asylum claim with the UK Border Agency (UKBA) at the Home Office and is awaiting a decision on that claim. Details of how an asylum application is assessed is shown below.

Who is a refugee?
If a person has their asylum claim granted they become a refugee. For this to happen they must have demonstrated a well-founded fear of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group. In addition, they must be unwilling or unable to seek protection from their own country, or to return there, for fear of persecution.

The UK has a proud heritage of welcoming refugees, many of whom make a huge contribution to the enrichment of our national life, and some of whom have gone on to become well-known public figures through their achievements, despite facing immense adversity.

Who is an unaccompanied asylum seeeking child (UASC)?
This is someone who makes an asylum application and is under the age of 18, or in the absence of documentary evidence, appears to be under 18, is applying for asylum in his or her own right and has no adult relative or guardian to turn to in the UK. Local authority social care departments are responsible for their care and protection, in the same way that they care for other 'looked after' children.

What is integration?
The European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) has agreed a Europe-wide definition of integration as:

"a long-term, two-way process of change that relates to both the conditions for and the actual participation of refugees in all aspects of life of the country of durable asylum as well as to the refugees' own sense of belonging and membership of European societies. The objective of integration programmes and policies should be the establishment of a mutual and responsible relationship between individual refugees, civil society and host states which promotes equality, self-determination and sustainable self-sufficiency and acceptance and positive action in favour of refugees by European governments and societies."

The asylum process - New Asylum Model (NAM) End to End Process

A high level end to end map of the new asylum process which outlines the timings of the process can be found by clicking the link below:

NAM E2E process map

The Asylum Process Explained.  Four briefings by the Information Centre about Asylum & Refugees (ICAR) have been produced:

Asylum Determination Process
Detention of asylum seekers
Removals
Vulnerable groups

Asylum seekers are housed in the east of England in three disperal towns and cities - Ipswich, Norwich and Peterborough, with the remainder mostly in Luton and Southend. Those eligible for accommodation are provided with homes from UKBA, under their accommodation and transport contract. The new contract for this region will be delivered by G4S from May 2012. Please follow this link to frequently asked questions about the contract: FAQs about contract for accommodation & transport.pdf

Section 4 'Hard-Case' Support

From 2007, Asylum Team Case Owners decide on section 4 applications for the cases they manage.  They also review section 4 cases which they manage, including those which were previously granted section 4 support by the central Section 4 Team.  The UK Border Agency (UKBA) have produced a new section 4 instruction pack for use by Case Owners and by the central Section 4 Team, to help ensure the quality and consistency of decisions on section 4 support applications and reviews across the UKBA.

The instructions are in two parts - one for assessing section 4 applications (a) and one for review of continued eligibility (b).

Section 4 instruction pack a to be used by UKBA Case Owners
Section 4 instruction pack b to be used by UKBA Case Owners

Please click on the Asylum & Refugee Integration developments page for current asylum and refugee issues nationally and regionally.