Seeking Refuge? - Rights of Women

the UK and what travel documents you used to
get here. These questions are important as your
answers may be used to make a decision about
whether or not you should be given protection in
the UK. You must therefore explain why you fear
being returned to your country.
The screening process will also be used to find out
whether you have claimed asylum before,
whether you applied as soon as reasonably
practicable, and whether you should be given
financial support. For further information about
financial support throughout the process, see
Chapter 11.
When you are screened, you will be given some
basic information about the asylum process. You
can also ask for a female case-owner (see below)
and a female interpreter, if you would prefer to be
interviewed by women. The UK Border Agency will
try to ensure that you are interviewed by a woman
whenever possible. You may have one case-owner
throughout your case or have different case-owners
at different times, for example, a female case-owner
to interview you and a different case-owner to
make a decision on your case.
When your name and identity is confirmed, you
will be given an Application Registration Card
(ARC) to show that you have applied for asylum.
This card is important as it confirms your status in
the UK. If you are not given an ARC, you will be
given a Standard Acknowledgement Letter
(SAL) instead. The SAL is valid for a maximum of
two months and should come with instructions on
how you can get a valid ARC.
At the screening interview, it will be decided
whether or not you should be detained while your
case is decided. For further information about
detention and the fast-tracking of cases, see
Chapter 4.
What happens if I am not
detained?
If you claimed asylum in the port or airport you
arrived in, and you have not been detained, you
may be given temporary admission. Temporary
admission is not a grant of leave to enter the UK.
It is an alternative to detention, but does not give
you any other rights (such as the right to claim
welfare benefits). A woman with temporary
admission is usually forbidden from working and
may be given certain conditions, such as
reporting to immigration officials.
If you claimed asylum in-country at an Asylum
Screening Unit, and you have not been detained,
you may be released subject to certain reporting
restrictions. Reporting restrictions involve doing
things such as reporting to a certain place at a
certain time each week.
If you had a type of leave to remain in the UK
when you claimed asylum, for example, if you had
permission to be in the UK as a student or worker,
then this leave continues until a decision on your
case is made.
What happens after screening?
The first reporting event
After screening, you will be given the date you
must first report to the UK Border Agency. At the
first reporting event, you will be given a caseowner.
It may be that you have the same caseowner
throughout your case, or you may have
different case-owners at different stages, for
example, your asylum interview may be
conducted by one case-owner, but the decision in
your case may be made by another.
At the first reporting event, your case-owner will
explain the asylum process to you. You can ask
any questions that you have about your case. If
you do not have a legal representative (see
below), the case-owner will give you information
about how you can find one.
“
The case-owner is the person
under NAM who is responsible
for your case. You may have
one case-owner throughout
your case, or you may have
different case-owners at
different stages in the process.
”
23