Help and advice

This section explains what help is available to asylum applicants and where it can be obtained.

There is always someone to contact if you have questions or concerns. And if you need help with specific aspects of your asylum application, or with difficulties in your personal life, there are organisations that will offer it.

Every adult asylum applicant will normally receive a personal introduction to the asylum process within a few days of making their application. This will be done by someone from a charitable organisation who will not be involved in making decisions about your application. This introduction, known as an induction, is an opportunity to ask questions and find out about the area you are living in and the services available.

If you are homeless and without money to buy food, you may be able to apply for free housing and financial support from the UK Border Agency. For more information, see Asylum support.

If you have a case owner, he/she is the person to contact for information on:

• your asylum application;
• asylum support;
• other organisations that can help you with specific questions and needs;
• how you must report to the UK Border Agency; and
• information on enrolling your biometrics.

If you receive asylum support and live in housing arranged by the UK Border Agency, contact the person or organisation that provides your housing:

• for information on the area you have been sent to;
• if you have concerns about your housing; or
• if someone has attacked or abused you because of your race, or if you fear that this may happen.

Tell your case owner if you were brought into the United Kingdom illegally by people who took money from you to do this and then took away your travel documents or forced you to work for them (we call this 'trafficking'). Your case owner will put you in touch with organisations that can give you the extra support you need.