What Rights Do I Have While I'm Waiting?

If you make an application when you arrive, at the airport, you probably won't be detained. Instead, you will be given temporary admission. The conditions of temporary admission are:

• To report back to the immigration authorities at a particular date and time that you will be told about;
• To live at a particular address; and
• Not to work (usually).

If you don't meet these conditions, you could be detained. And if you don't report back when you're told to, you'll be treated as an 'illegal entrant'. You must tell the authorities straight away if you move. The Home Office will send you an appointment for an interview at the address on your temporary admission notice. If you don't turn up, your application will be refused for non compliance'. You could lose your right of appeal if you don't get notices sent to you, and you miss the time limit because of this.

.: If you can't get temporary admission.

If officers don't give you temporary admission, you can apply for bail after seven days. You will usually need one or two people to stand as sureties'. These people must live in the UK and be willing to promise sums of money if you don't report back when you are told to. There may also be other conditions, similar to temporary admission. You may have to regularly go to a police station or immigration office to sign in. If you break these conditions, you may be breaking the law, and your sureties can lose the money they have promised. The cost of preparing and presenting applications for bail will be covered by publicly funded legal help if you qualify. You should ask your legal representative to apply for you.

.: Your right to work.

As an asylum seeker, you won't normally be allowed to work in the UK. But you should be given permission to look for work after six months if your asylum application hasn't yet been decided within this time.

.: Other rights.

As an asylum seeker, you can get free medical care, and you can register with a local doctor. In most areas, English-language classes are available free of charge, and there are some other further education courses, too. Very little extra money is available, apart from the vouchers, but some travel costs can be paid. These will include fares to an interview with the immigration authorities and to an asylum appeal hearing. But you need to give the National Asylum Support Service five or six days' notice of the appointment to get this. You will also be paid to travel if you are sent to another part of the U K. The one-stop service can help you with these issues. If you are getting publicly funded legal help, you may get your travel costs to go to an interview with your legal representative.

.: Where can I get help with my claim?

If you do not have enough money to pay for a lawyer, you should be able to get specialist advice free of charge. But this is available only through solicitors and voluntary organizations who have an arrangement with the Community Legal Service. There are also free services provided by other organizations, such as the Refugee Legal Centre, the Immigration Advisory Service, and some local agencies, particularly Law Centres. The one-stop service or a Citizens Advice Bureau can help you find any of these, though you won't always be able to find a legal advisor to help you immediately. If you have been detained and you can't get to any of these organizations, you should try to contact one by phone, or speak to a member of the visitors' group. This is a group of volunteers who visit people who are detained, and can help put you in touch with services outside.

.: Your adviser must tell you in writing:-

• What service you can expect.
• Who to complain to if you have concerns about the advice service or advisor.
• Whether you will have to pay a charge, and if so how it is worked out; and
• How to contact them when you need to.

It is against the law to offer advice or help with asylum cases unless the person is on the register of the Immigration Services Commissioner, Anyone who offers advice that isn't free must always tell you that free advice is also available. If you are not happy with any asylum or immigration advice, or you think any charge you have to pay is unfair, you may complain to the Commissioner who will investigate for you. Using interpreters the immigration authorities will provide you with an interpreter for any interview they carry out. Your legal representatives should also find one for you when you see them. Remember that interpreters are there to help you to communicate, and should just translate what is said, not give advice or answer questions for you. You should try to avoid using friends or family members for all but the simplest advice.