In 2017/18, out of 26,547 applications for asylum in the UK, 14,166 were granted: a drop of 11%. Many of those who apply for refugee status in the UK are left in a prolonged state of uncertainty until the Home Office decides whether they can remain in the UK.
The asylum process has three main stages: application, a screening interview, and a substantive interview. Whilst going through these stages, applicants are given an allowance of £37.75 a week to cover everything except housing and bills. Decisions are meant to be made within six months of the application being submitted – but nearly half of claims are now deemed as ‘non-straightforward’, so are exempted from the six-month target. More than a quarter of home office staff left over a six month period between 2016 and 2017. This led to staff shortages and a backlog of around 50,000 cases. Some decision makers are required to complete 225 interviews a year.
The purpose of the substantive interview is, according to the Home Office, ‘to investigate the key issues through a focused and sensitive approach to questioning’. Many reports say this process is harsh and demanding. Some asylum claimants are subjected to intrusive questions, and studies show they can make a claimant’s trauma worse.
Scarsdale Solicitors Rochdale
The best way to speed up the process of entering the UK is to use a dedicated immigration lawyer. For advice on this or any other issues about immigration, call your local experts: Scarsdale Solicitors Rochdale and Scarsdale Solicitors Oldham are proud to serve our clients, combining expert legal knowledge with customer service that is second to none. If you are in need of immigration solicitors Rochdale or immigration solicitors Oldham, call us today on 0161 660 6050.
