Asylum Process and Women

1
Asylum Process and Women

• John Donkersley
• Northern Refugee Centre

2
Countries of Origin top 10Q3 - 2008

• Zimbabwe 1010 760 refusals
• Afghanistan 975 415
• Eritrea 605 185
• Iran 595 350
• Iraq 385 275
• China 375 200
• Sri Lanka 345 155
• Pakistan 305 185
• Somalia 300 165
• India 190 65
• (note application may have been made in another
  quarter when no. of applications was different)

3
Applications for asylum

• To UKBA in person
• Screening
• Case owners the New Asylum Model
• Substantive Interview
• Decision

4
The Present Situation

• 25,6700 asylum applications in 2008
• 30 granted status
• Approx 23 win appeals

5
Decisions

• Refugee status 5 years limited leave
• Humanitarian Protection 5 yrs limited
• Discretionary leave ltd, 1-3 up to 6
• Discretionary leave for minors to 17.5yrs old
• Refusal

6
End of the road

• 10,825 failed asylum seekers leave/removed in
  last year
• Net gain in failed/undecided asylum seekers
  backlog / legacy exercise
• Alienated refugee communities
• compare146,000 allowed to settle pa and
• A8 migrant workers 165,000 pa

7
NRC Advice Provision

• 2,300 clients and 3,000 matters pa
• 29 are failed asylum seekers (f.a.s.)
• 22 want help with section 4, charity or social
  services help
• 40 come from Iran/Iraq
• Agencies have few ways of helping f.a.s.
  ASSIST, community care, s4 applications and
  appeals

8
Women Procedural issues

• late disclosure of sexual assault
• access to child care when interviewed at the Home
  Office or seeing a representative
• treated as secondary to husbands claim / not
  making claims in own right
• Judges not having regard to gender guidelines

9
Women - issues

• female genital mutilation
• rape and sexual assault torture and a method of
  waging war
• dress or behaviour
• honour killings
• domestic Violence
• sexual and domestic slavery