Resources

Resources

Joint Statement on the Impact of the UK Government’s Earned Settlement Proposals on Statelessness in the UK

Asylum Aid is deeply concerned about the UK government’s proposed changes to settlement. Overall, the proposals are completely contrary to the significant body of evidence on integration and social cohesion. If introduced, the proposals risk entrenching insecurity, poverty and exclusion, undermining integration and social cohesion, and placing additional pressure on public services. We are in no doubt that they will cause significant harm to affected migrants, refugees, and stateless people. We are particularly concerned that there appears to have been no Equality Impact Assessment of the proposals, which are intended to have far-reaching impact on those with protected characteristics, which includes statelessness.
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Annual Report 2024

2024 was a year of exciting change and consolidation for Asylum Aid. As the final year of working towards the 2022-2024 strategic objectives, we successfully delivered on our commitment to increase our own capacity to provide our much-needed expert legal representation to survivors, taking on 93 new clients across the year. We worked in partnership to increase capacity across legal deserts, partnering with legal advice providers from Devon to Manchester through our innovative model of training and remote supervision. We grew our statelessness project and our casework, enabling us to reach many more survivors.
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Asylum Aid's response to the far-right violence and closure of asylum hotels

Over the last weeks, we have been deeply alarmed about the far-right attacks outside asylum hotels and threats of more organised violence across the country. We strongly condemn the racist and vitriolic targeting of people seeking protection in the UK. We stand in solidarity with the men, women, children and families at the sharp end of this hostility, who deserve to live in dignity and with safety.
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Helen Bamber Foundation Group’s response to the Immigration White Paper and hostile rhetoric from the UK government 

On 12th May, the government published its Immigration White Paper which contained a range of regressive measures, including those that would make it even harder for people living and working here to secure permanent settlement. In addition to recent changes to eligibility for citizenship, the government’s approach will further harm those trying to build a life in the UK. This includes the survivors we support who have experienced the worst humanity has to offer and now simply want safety and security.
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Asylum Aid’s statement on the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill

This new Bill builds on some of the much-needed reforms to the asylum system that the government has made since taking office, including tackling the backlog of asylum cases. It repeals the Safety of Rwanda Act, as the Government committed to do in response to Asylum Aid’s legal challenge.  It also revokes a significant amount of the Illegal Migration Act that aimed to strip those fleeing war, persecution and human rights abuses of their right to seek safety this country. However, Parliament should go further and repeal the whole IMA.

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Statement on the UK’s suspension of asylum decisions for Syrians 

Asylum Aid is extremely concerned that the UK government has decided to suspend decision making in Syrian asylum cases. The government is in no position to assume the safety of individuals in such a volatile and developing situation. Asylum Aid has supported survivors who were tortured by sectarian militias and who would have feared both Bashar al-Assad and sectarian militias, such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

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Press release: Home Office to apologise and compensate Asylum Aid’s client for four years delay

Asylum Aid’s client (referred to as EG), a 52-year-old man from Cote D’Ivoire seeking protection in the UK, will receive an apology and compensation from the Home Office for waiting four years and two months for a decision on his asylum claim. The client’s win comes on the back of Asylum Aid’s fight against one of the biggest problems in the UK asylum system – delays in decision making on asylum claims.
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Asylum Aid’s statement on the increase in legal aid funding

We are delighted that the government has announced an increase in legal aid rates for immigration, which were last revised three decades ago. The UK’s immigration and asylum systems are extremely complex and challenging to go through. Free legal advice is fundamental for people seeking protection to navigate those systems. But since 1996, there’s been no increase in funding. Those supporting people seeking protection have been calling for an increase in legal aid rates for years so that legal aid is sustainable, and providers can afford to continue this vital work. We welcome the government’s decision to act.
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