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How can i get asylum in the UK
Executive summary
If you are inside the UK and want asylum you must apply to the Home Office — usually by booking an appointment at the Asylum Intake Unit (formerly Asylum Screening Unit) or by claiming at the border — and you should do so as soon as it is unsafe to return home [1] [2] [3]. The process begins with screening (biometrics, travel route, basic reasons) and can include a substantive interview, possible housing and limited financial support while you wait, and a decision which may take weeks to many months given a large national backlog [2] [4] [5] [6].
1. How you start: where and when to make a claim
You can make a first asylum application on arrival at a UK port, at the Asylum Intake Unit in Croydon (now called the Asylum Intake Unit/AIU), or from detention if you are detained; if you are already in the UK most guidance tells you to call the Home Office to book an AIU appointment [2] [1]. Government guidance stresses you should claim “when you arrive in the UK or as soon as you think it would be unsafe for you to return” and warns a late claim may be less likely to succeed [3] [7].
2. The screening step: what officials will check first
At screening you give personal details, biometric data, health and family information, an outline of your reasons for seeking protection and your route of travel — including whether you passed through other countries — and the Home Office decides whether they can consider your claim in the UK [2] [3]. Ports have specific local arrangements (for example screening for claims at Dover can take place at Manston) and some claims may be assessed as “inadmissible” if the Home Office considers a safe third country applies [2].
3. Legal help, interviewing and preparation
If you claim soon after arrival you will usually be able to meet a legal aid lawyer between screening and your substantive interview; the substantive interview is where you explain in detail why you fear return and submit evidence [4] [8]. Independent organisations and legal firms stress the importance of a full witness statement and compiling evidence (experts, country reports) because decisions depend heavily on the factual case presented [9] [1].
4. Support while you wait and restrictions you should expect
If you have no money or housing you should tell the Home Office when you claim; you may be provided housing and a small cash allowance, but you will not normally choose where you live and you will generally not be permitted to work while your claim is pending [4] [8]. Some claimants are detained in particular circumstances; Right to Remain notes there is no fixed maximum length of detention for adults in the UK, with some limited statutory exceptions [4].
5. Decisions, appeals and policy changes affecting eligibility
After the substantive interview you will be given a decision — usually within weeks but sometimes months — and if refused you may have the right to appeal [5] [8]. Recent law changes and policy measures (such as provisions introduced by the Illegal Migration Act and inadmissibility rules) have changed who can be granted protection and have contributed to delays and a growing backlog; government and analysts link parts of the slowdown to new inadmissibility provisions for those arriving without authorisation after March 2023 [6] [10] [2].
6. Practical realities: backlog, success rates and national context
The system has a large backlog: by mid‑2023 about 175,500 people awaited an initial decision, and the number of applications rose sharply in recent years; processing times and initial grant rates have varied — the initial approval rate rose to a peak in 2022 then fell by 2024 — so outcomes depend on both individual case merits and system pressures [6]. UNHCR in the UK emphasises the Home Office is the decision‑maker and cannot accept or decide asylum applications itself [10].
7. What sources disagree on or do not cover
Official Home Office pages and independent guides agree on the main procedural steps; they differ in emphasis about detention risk, timeframes and the practical help available [3] [4] [2]. Available sources do not mention specific tactical advice beyond booking screening/AIU appointments, obtaining legal representation, preparing evidence and explaining any delay in claiming (for example precise document lists or step‑by‑step templates are not provided in these sources) — for those details organisations such as Rainbow Migration, Free Movement or specialist lawyers provide tailored toolkits [11] [1] [9].
If you want specific next steps: call the Home Office to book an AIU appointment (if already in the UK) and seek an asylum‑specialist lawyer or recognised legal aid adviser to prepare your substantive evidence — all the guides emphasise early legal help and prompt filing [1] [4] [9].