About ASAPWe protect asylum seekers’ legal rights to food and shelter
What we do
We reduce destitution amongst asylum seekers by protecting their legal rights to food and shelter. ASAP carries out three types of work:
- We offer free, high-quality legal representation and advice to asylum seekers and refused asylum seekers appealing to the Asylum Support Tribunal against the Home Office decisions to refuse or discontinue their housing, financial subsistence, or both.
- We provide asylum support advice and training to frontline organisations, advice agencies and legal practitioners working with asylum seekers. We provide a range of training options and operate a second-tier Advice Line for advisers.
- Policy, lobbying and litigation to improve policies and procedures on asylum support.
Our vision and values
- We believe in human rights and the rights of all persons seeking asylum in the UK to have shelter, food and support and not to live in destitution.
- We believe in access to justice, holding the Home Office and Tribunal to account and the importance of ensuring dignity and equality for the persons we serve.
- We believe in maintaining our independence.
- We believe in collaboration with other organisations and value openness and transparency.
- We value listening to the asylum seekers we work with enabling them to explain their perspective, in a complex and intimidating system of support.
Who we work with
We work with people who have been forced to flee their home countries and seek safety in the UK who then find themselves destitute, and in need of food and shelter. We also work with organisations around the UK working with persons seeking asylum who are in need of support.
If you are an asylum seeker and need advice about your housing or financial support from the Home Office you should go to your nearest advice agency and ask an adviser to contact us. You can find information about organisations who help with housing and financial support from the Home Office here. ASAP only works with asylum seekers directly in relation to asylum support appeals. We cannot help with other asylum support problems.
Please note that ASAP does not give immigration advice
If you need advice about your immigration status please contact a regulated advisor. For information about how to find a regulated immigration adviser please click here.
The impact of our work
We commissioned an external evaluation of the impact of our work over a ten year period. The full report can be found here
From 2005 - 2015 we achieved the following:
Our strategic goals 2019 – 2024
- Increasing quality representation and dignity at the Asylum Support Tribunal for all asylum seekers.
- Ensuring asylum seekers across the UK have access to quality advice and information in relation to their legal rights to food and shelter.
- Tackling the root causes of destitution through policy, lobbying and litigation.
- To develop a well-resourced and purposeful organisation for the benefit of asylum seekers and the agencies supporting them.
ASAP is independent from government, including UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). All queries are treated in confidence.
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