Asylum Support Appeals Project
Written by ASAP
Protecting asylum seekers' legal rights to food and shelter
ASAP is a small national charity which aims to reduce destitution amongst asylum seekers by protecting their legal rights to food and shelter.
ASAP specialises in asylum support law - that is, the law relating to asylum seekers’ entitlement to housing and welfare support.
ASAP carries out three strands of work:
1) Provision of free legal representation and advice to the appellants appealing against UKBA’s decision to refuse or withdraw their support. Every year, we assist between 200 and 300 destitute asylum seekers at the First-Tier Tribunal (Asylum Support).
2) Second-tier asylum support advice and training to voluntary organisations and advice agencies who are working with asylum seekers. We support over 300 organisations a year this way.
3) Policy, lobbying and research work to improve asylum support / asylum support appeals systems and procedures.
ASAP is independent from the UK Border Agency (UKBA). All your queries are treated in confidence.
In March 2008 the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) changed its name to UK Border Agency. Following the introduction of the New Asylum Model (NAM), the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) ceased to exist in April 2007. Decisions on asylum support are made by UKBA.
If you are an asylum seeker and need advice about your housing and benefits problems, you should go to your nearest advice agency and ask an adviser to call us on 0845 603 3884. ASAP is unable to give advice to individual asylum seekers. Please also note that ASAP does not give immigration advice.
