People from Iran and Iraq
On 15 May 2023 the Home Office announced a new process to deal with outstanding asylum claims. This process applies only to cases which meet all of the following criteria: –
The Home Office has started to send letters out advising these people to complete an online asylum questionnaire. These may be sent directly to claimants or their lawyers if they have one. The form can be completed online and returned to the Home Office online, by email or by post. Other evidence can also be submitted, but the Home Office has requested that original travel and identity documents are sent to them by post.
What you need to do
If this applies to you then you should receive a letter from the Home Office in the next few weeks. If you have a lawyer they should contact you about this and advise you what to do next.
If you do not have a lawyer then you can make a referral to us on our website – https://gmiau.org/help-and-advice/services/#referrals but please note that we cannot guarantee to take on your case. There are also links to find other lawyers on our website.
You have 30 working days to complete and return the questionnaire. You can ask for more time if needed by emailing asylumcontactquestionnairereturns@homeoffice.gov.uk.
We advise you not to complete the form without a lawyer. The Home Office say that they will not withdraw your asylum claim if you do not return the form. If you do not complete the form then the Home Office will need to interview you about the reasons for your asylum claim. The Home Office say that they will need to interview you even if you complete the form, but this interview may be shorter and only ask about certain things based on what you have put in the form.
We do not know how long it will take for a decision on your claim if you complete the form or if you don’t, but the Prime Minister has said all of these cases should be decided by the end of 2023. That should not be affected by whether you return the form or not.
People from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Libya, Syria and Yemen
On 23 February 2023 the Home Office announced a new process to deal with outstanding asylum claims. This process applies only to cases which meet all of the following criteria: –
The Home Office has sent letters out with an asylum questionnaire to complete. These may have been sent directly to claimants or their lawyers if they have one. The form should be returned to the Home Office by email or by post. Other evidence can also be submitted.
What you need to do
If this applies to you then you should already have received a letter from the Home Office at the end of February/start of March 2023. It is possible that more may be sent out later to people in hotels. If you have a lawyer they should be in contact with you about this and advise you what to do next.
If you do not have a lawyer then you can make a referral to GMIAU clearly stating that you have received the questionnaire and the date on the Home Office letter that came with it. We will respond to your enquiry, but we cannot guarantee that we will have capacity to help you with completing the questionnaire.
You have 30 working days to complete and return the questionnaire. You can ask for more time if needed.
The Home Office has said that your asylum claim may be treated as withdrawn if you do not return the questionnaire. If needed, it is important to explain to the Home Office why you cannot complete the form without legal advice so that this does not happen.
You can contact the Home Office by email: asylumcustomercommunicationshub@homeoffice.gov.uk
Or post: UKVI- Response
PO Box 7631
Village Way
Bilston
WV14 4DL
Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit is a voluntary organisation supporting people subject to immigration control for over 25 years.
We offer free legal advice, representation and support services to people seeking asylum, refugees, children and vulnerable adults.
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