We'll Keep a Welcome… A Manifesto for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Wales
An Asylum Seeker is a person who is fleeing persecution in their homeland, has arrived in the UK, made themselves known to the authorities and exercised their legal right to apply for asylum.
A Refugee is a person who has been recognised by the government as needing protection in the UK because if he or she returned to their home country they would have a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.
Refugees and asylum seekers have been forced to flee their homes and face a difficult challenge in rebuilding their lives in a new country. Most refugees and asylum seekers arrive with few if any family or friendship networks and are unfamiliar with the different systems and institutions. They may have qualifications, skills and work experience that are not recognised here or face discrimination.
Over 95% of people seeking asylum in Wales receive accommodation and support from National Asylum Support Services and without this would be destitute. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work for the first 12 months of their application. They are forced to rely on state support, set at 30% below the normal level of income support. Many are living in poverty and experience poor health and hunger.
Asylum seekers come to the UK seeking protection from war and persecution. They do not come to the UK to claim benefits and in fact know very little about the asylum system before they arrive.
The vast majority of asylum seekers whose claims have been refused are not entitled to any legal source of income, and are destitute, surviving on the charity of friends, family and community groups. A small number of asylum seekers whose claims have been refused qualify for support under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. This provides only for accommodation and either full board or vouchers – no cash.
Many asylum seekers whose claims have been refused cannot currently return home because there is no safe route of return or because their lives would be placed under threat. In some cases, this is accepted by the government. Other asylum seekers whose claims have been refused are simply too frightened to return because of potential persecution or because their countries are in the midst of upheaval and war.
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