Asylum Seekers

If you are coming to the UK to escape a war or a threatening environment in your own country, you may be entitled to claim asylum in the UK.

By claiming asylum you request the UK to be your place of refuge and offer you the safety and protection your current country of residence is unable to provide, perhaps due to civil unrest. You will need to claim asylum as soon as you enter the UK, and you will then be informed about the procedures you need to follow.

You will need to prove that there is a genuine risk to your health and safety if you return to your own country, perhaps because you are afraid of being targeted for your religion, race or political views. If your application is successful, you may be granted refugee status and allowed to live and work in the UK. If you are not granted refugee status you may still be allowed to stay in the UK for a short period of time on humanitarian grounds.

If your application is unsuccessful you will be required to return to your own country, and may face prosecution if you refuse or fail to do so.

In 2007, over twenty-three thousand people registered a claim for asylum in the UK*. Of these applicants nearly sixteen thousand were refused asylum; the remaining seven thousand were either granted asylum or temporary protection, or they withdrew their application.

Only 3,800 people were granted asylum: just seventeen percent of applicants were accepted*. This reiterates that you will only be granted asylum if you can prove that you have a genuine need for the UK to protect your safety and well-being.



* Home Office Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 2007