What is an asylum seeker?
An asylum seeker is someone who has crossed an international border and is seeking protection from persecution or serious human rights violations in another country. They are waiting for a decision on whether they are recognised as a refugee and granted formal status.
The difference between a refugee and an asylum seeker
An asylum seeker is someone whose claim for recognition as a refugee is being formally considered by the country where they have sought protection. Someone is considered an asylum seeker from the moment they apply for asylum and until their claim is determined (and all appeal rights are exhausted). People must apply for protection within the country where they are seeking sanctuary. This means they must cross an international border to apply for safety.
If a person’s claim for asylum is successful, they are then granted refugee status. Due to their legal status, refugees have more rights than asylum seekers, like the right to work in the UK.
Asylum seeker statistics
It’s estimated that around a third of asylum seekers and refugees in countries like the UK have experienced torture. A report from Redress indicates the UK is home to between 60,000 and 98,000 survivors of torture.
Thanks to Freedom from Torture’s generous supporters, we’re helping survivors in the UK rebuild their lives. In 2023, we provided life-changing rehabilitation services to over 700 survivors of torture. Our expert clinicians provided independent forensic documentation of torture – a medico-legal report – for over 160 people in 2023. Over 80% of initial asylum claims involving one of our medico-legal reports results in a grant of status.
What does seeking asylum mean?
Seeking safety is a human right. Anyone who is fleeing conflict or persecution has the right to apply for asylum and protection from another country.
For many people seeking safety, leaving your home behind is a deeply traumatic experience. There is no legal way to enter the UK as an asylum seeker, and this means that people are forced to enter illegally in order to seek protection. This can involve long journeys over land and sea, navigating dangerous routes and putting their lives in the hands of unknown people.
Once a person seeking safety arrives in the UK, they face an uphill battle for their right to stay. People can wait for months or even years for their claim to be determined. While they wait, they’re usually unable to work and often forced to live in poverty. Many people spend this time worrying that they will be sent back to torture and fearing for their future.
How does Freedom from Torture support asylum seekers?
We work with people seeking safety to help them come to terms with their experiences and start their recovery.
Our therapy team help people cope with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, lasting physical pain and many other problems caused by torture. We also provide legal and welfare advice and guidance and can help with the consideration of asylum claims by producing independent medical evidence of torture. Our aim is to provide ongoing care, advice and support so that people can heal from torture and rebuild their lives.
Do people have to claim asylum in the first safe country they reach?
International law does not require people to ask for protection in the first safe country they reach. People can apply for asylum in any country, including the UK, even if they have already passed through other safe countries.
How does the UK support asylum seekers?
The system for claiming asylum in the UK is tough. While the government provides housing and a small allowance, there isn’t much support available beyond this. The support that is available can be difficult to access, and hostile policies like the Rwanda scheme, immigration detention and the Bibby Stockholm barge made people fearful of reaching out for help.
People fleeing violence and persecution have a right to be treated with dignity and humanity. That’s why we’re fighting for a more compassionate asylum system to ensure people are provided with the support they need to rebuild their lives in safety. Join us in taking action!
What benefits are available to asylum seekers?
Asylum seekers don’t receive benefits in the same way that UK citizens do. Instead, if they are destitute and meet certain criteria, then they are provided with somewhere to live and a weekly allowance that is loaded onto a debit card.
Asylum seekers have no choice over where they live. It could be a flat, house, hotel or former military barracks. And it could be anywhere in the UK. The weekly allowance for asylum seekers living in the community is usually just £49.18 per person. This is to help with essentials like food, clothing and toiletries, but it is often not enough. Many asylum seekers are currently living in poverty and are housed in unsafe conditions that they have no choice or control over.
How can I support asylum seekers?
By supporting our work, you can help us fight for change and ensure survivors of torture and refugees are given the safety and stability they need to start again.
With your support we can provide specialised therapy to help survivors heal.
