Seeking Refuge? - Rights of Women
Seeking Refuge? - Rights of Women Seeking Refuge? - Rights of Women
Rights of Women aims to achieve equality, justice and respect for all women. Rights of Women advises, educates and empowers women by: • Providing women with free, confidential legal advice by specialist women solicitors and barristers. • Enabling women to understand and benefit from their legal rights through accessible and timely publications and training. • Campaigning to ensure that women’s voices are heard and law and policy meets all women’s needs. Rights of Women’s areas of expertise includes all forms of violence against women (including domestic and sexual violence) family, immigration and asylum law and we frequently run conferences and training on these issues. ISBN 10: 0-9510879-7-5 ISBN 13: 978-0-9510879-7-8 Rights of Women 52-54 Featherstone Street London EC1Y 8RT Key + ) 8 2 Postal address Telephone number Email address Fax number For advice on family law, domestic violence and relationship breakdown telephone 020 7251 6577 (lines open Tuesday to Thursday 2-4pm and 7-9pm, Friday 12-2pm). For advice on sexual violence, criminal, immigration and asylum law telephone 020 7251 8887 (lines open Monday 11am-1pm and Tuesday 10am-12noon). Admin line: 020 7251 6575 Textphone: 020 7490 2562 Fax: 020 7490 5377 Email: info@row.org.uk Website: www.rightsofwomen.org.uk All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of Rights of Women. To receive further copies of this publication, please contact Rights of Women. Disclaimer: The guide provides a basic overview of the laws, policies and procedures for the asylum process in the UK. This guide is for information purposes only and is not legal advice. If you are affected by any of the issues raised by this book you should seek legal advice as soon as you can. The information contained in this book is correct to July 2009. The law may have changed since then. Rights of Women cannot accept responsibility for any reliance placed on the legal information presented in this guide. © Rights of Women 2009 Rights of Women dedicates this book to the women worldwide who struggle to secure justice, equality and a future safe from violence.
Seeking Refuge? A handbook for asylum-seeking women Foreword “Every year millions of people across the world are forced to flee their homes because of violence and persecution. Some of those people will seek refuge by making a claim for asylum here in the UK. Comic Relief understands how vulnerable those seeking refuge are, because of what has happened to them in their country of origin and the challenges they face here. Many asylumseeking women arrive in the UK having experienced sexual violence, such as rape, or torture or other forms of violence. Sexual violence is currently such a serious problem worldwide that the Security Council of the United Nations consider it an issue of international peace and security. Traumatic experiences, such as rape or torture, are extremely hard to deal with or even talk about, particularly with a stranger, such as a male interpreter, or in an unfamiliar environment, such as through a screen in a public office of the UK Border Agency. Yet this is what asylum-seeking women have to do, just days after arriving in the UK. Many asylum-seeking women do not understand how decisions about their cases are made and why, or what their rights are. The way the asylum system is currently set up makes it difficult for women to disclose the abuse they have experienced and explain their need for protection. Comic Relief supports Rights of Women’s vital work because it helps to ensure that women get the information and advice they need throughout the asylum process. Seeking Refuge? is a fantastic resource. It explains, in clear and accessible language, the law that determines who is entitled to protection in the UK and how the asylum system works. It is essential reading for asylum-seeking women and all those who support them in their struggle to live lives free from violence and abuse.” Nalini Varma Trustee of Comic Relief and Chair of the UK Grants Committee “Rights of Women has been providing women with specialist legal advice for nearly 35 years. We understand how important it is for women to know and understand the law, and their legal rights, so that they can protect themselves and their families from violence. We have written this book for asylum-seeking women because we recognise that they are particularly vulnerable. They often find it hard to find reliable and accessible legal information on asylum law and the process of claiming asylum in the UK. We hope that this book will help asylumseeking women, and those that support them, understand the law that determines who is entitled to protection in the UK and how decisions are made. We hope that in this way we can help more women live lives free from violence here in the UK”. Emma Scott Director, Rights of Women 3
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<strong>Seeking</strong> <strong>Refuge</strong>?<br />
A handbook for asylum-seeking women<br />
Foreword<br />
“Every year millions <strong>of</strong> people across the world are<br />
forced to flee their homes because <strong>of</strong> violence and<br />
persecution. Some <strong>of</strong> those people will seek<br />
refuge by making a claim for asylum here in the<br />
UK. Comic Relief understands how vulnerable<br />
those seeking refuge are, because <strong>of</strong> what has<br />
happened to them in their country <strong>of</strong> origin and<br />
the challenges they face here. Many asylumseeking<br />
women arrive in the UK having<br />
experienced sexual violence, such as rape, or<br />
torture or other forms <strong>of</strong> violence. Sexual violence<br />
is currently such a serious problem worldwide that<br />
the Security Council <strong>of</strong> the United Nations<br />
consider it an issue <strong>of</strong> international peace and<br />
security.<br />
Traumatic experiences, such as rape or torture, are<br />
extremely hard to deal with or even talk about,<br />
particularly with a stranger, such as a male<br />
interpreter, or in an unfamiliar environment, such<br />
as through a screen in a public <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> the UK<br />
Border Agency. Yet this is what asylum-seeking<br />
women have to do, just days after arriving in the<br />
UK. Many asylum-seeking women do not<br />
understand how decisions about their cases are<br />
made and why, or what their rights are.<br />
The way the asylum system is currently set up<br />
makes it difficult for women to disclose the abuse<br />
they have experienced and explain their need for<br />
protection. Comic Relief supports <strong>Rights</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Women</strong>’s vital work because it helps to ensure<br />
that women get the information and advice they<br />
need throughout the asylum process. <strong>Seeking</strong><br />
<strong>Refuge</strong>? is a fantastic resource. It explains, in<br />
clear and accessible language, the law that<br />
determines who is entitled to protection in the UK<br />
and how the asylum system works. It is essential<br />
reading for asylum-seeking women and all those<br />
who support them in their struggle to live lives<br />
free from violence and abuse.”<br />
Nalini Varma<br />
Trustee <strong>of</strong> Comic Relief and Chair <strong>of</strong> the<br />
UK Grants Committee<br />
“<strong>Rights</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Women</strong> has been providing women<br />
with specialist legal advice for nearly 35 years. We<br />
understand how important it is for women to<br />
know and understand the law, and their legal<br />
rights, so that they can protect themselves and<br />
their families from violence.<br />
We have written this book for asylum-seeking<br />
women because we recognise that they are<br />
particularly vulnerable. They <strong>of</strong>ten find it hard to<br />
find reliable and accessible legal information on<br />
asylum law and the process <strong>of</strong> claiming asylum in<br />
the UK. We hope that this book will help asylumseeking<br />
women, and those that support them,<br />
understand the law that determines who is<br />
entitled to protection in the UK and how decisions<br />
are made. We hope that in this way we can help<br />
more women live lives free from violence here in<br />
the UK”.<br />
Emma Scott<br />
Director, <strong>Rights</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Women</strong><br />
3
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