Asylum

Refugee law starter pack

Just getting started on refugee law and issues? Here are some of our explainer blog posts.

Book: Refugee Law by Colin Yeo

“Excellent! A clearly written analysis of refugee law, an accessible, highly readable account of refugee rights and who is entitled to protection, ending with some wise words on the future.”

Professor Guy Goodwin-Gill

“Digestible yet thorough – Colin Yeo has produced the perfect introduction to asylum law in the UK.”

Professor James Hathaway

HOME OFFICE COUNTRY GUIDANCE
SYRIA

Covers the Syrian civil war

LIBYA

Covers the security and humanitarian situation and the treatment of women, ethnic minorities and supporters of former President Gaddafi

IRAN

18 separate documents covering a wide range of issues

IRAQ

Ten separate documents covering a wide range of issues

ERITREA

Covers national service, religious groups and the report of a Home Office fact-finding mission

SUDAN

Covers opposition to the government, the treatment of non-Arab Darfuri, the return of unsuccessful asylum seekers and the report of a Home Office fact-finding mission.

AFGHANISTAN

Nine separate documents covering a wide range of issues

PAKISTAN

13 separate documents covering a wide range of issues

SOMALIA

Covers the security and humanitarian situation, gender-based violence, prison conditions, clans and Al-Shabaab

TOP ORGANISATIONS WORKING WITH REFUGEES
UNHCR

Guardians of the Refugee Convention. As you would expect, the UNHCR website is a mine of resources on refugee law and protection issues.

REFUGEE COUNCIL

Founded in 1951, the year the Refugee Convention was adopted, this is the semi-official lobbying group on refugee issues in the UK

ASYLOS

An international network of volunteers who research vital information to support people fleeing war, violence, persecution and grave threats with claiming their right to asylum.

ASYLUM AID

One of the foremost campaigning groups in the UK, Asylum Aid runs some fantastic projects, particularly on gender and asylum

REFUGEE ACTION

Another fantastic charity working with refugees and asylum seekers, Refugee Action do some amazing welfare work on the ground

ATLEP

The Anti Trafficking Legal Project is a network of lawyers that work on trafficking issues and their website has a range of really useful and practical resources available.

FREEDOM FROM TORTURE

Formerly known as the Medial Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture this national therapeutic and campaigning charity does some amazing work

HELEN BAMBER FOUNDATION

With a broader remit than FFT, this London based charity also does some amazing work with trauma survivors

British Red Cross have published a new report on the lack of legal aid assistance available to people in the immigration and asylum system, following

...
14th March 2024
BY Sonia Lenegan

The latest tribunal quarterly statistics show a very sharp increase in the number of asylum appeals lodged in the First-tier Tribunal in the period October

...
14th March 2024
BY Colin Yeo

The Home Office has updated its “Allocation of asylum accommodation” guidance so that a list of people who were previously excluded from the Bibby Stockholm,

...
14th March 2024
BY Sonia Lenegan

As the government’s Rwanda plan continues to court controversy, there is one area of their policy which by their measures could be seen to be

...
13th March 2024
BY Richard Crellin

A guidance change made in July 2023 is affecting the ability of the new-born babies of refugees to obtain refugee status. This is an issue

...
8th March 2024
BY Stewart MacLachlan

This is another successful challenge from a former Afghan judge who was unlawfully excluded from the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme (ARAP). The case

...
7th March 2024
BY Sonia Lenegan