Asylum & Humanitarian Protection
We are a leading team of immigration solicitors in Southampton who advise and represent those seeking asylum in the UK. Our services include applications and/or appeals where people’s human rights are or have been at risk of being violated. We take on both children and adults for asylum claims and offer a complete service for those seeking safety as a refugee in the UK.
Leonard Solicitors has been practising immigration law since 1990 and is accredited under the Law Society’s Immigration & Asylum Quality Scheme. This means that we can provide legal aid to asylum-seeking individuals and assurance to those on a privately funded basis.
Fresh Claims for Asylum
We will evaluate any new evidence provided to identify if there is merit in the fresh claim succeeding. During our assessment, we will assess eligibility for legal aid and request file papers from any previous representatives and the Home Office.
The team will then explore individual asylum claims thoroughly to investigate the client’s right as a refugee. We will gather any supporting evidence whilst working alongside independent professionals to ensure the case has every chance of success. In cases where the claim and appeal have been refused previously, and the claimant has exhausted all rights to appeal, the evidence submitted will need to be new, significant, not considered previously and create a realistic prospect of success at appeal.
From here, we are able to start a fresh claim where we can represent the claimant within representations to the Home Office.
Asylum Appeals
Our Immigration team work on appeals where claims have been refused by the Home Office. We understand that it is a stressful position to be in when a has been denied. Rest assured, our highly experienced immigration solicitors will do their best to ensure qualifiable asylum and humanitarian protection appeals are successful.
We work on appeals for cases that have been refused by submitting them to the First-Tier tribunal.
After submission of the appeal, it is necessary to await further directions from the Tribunal stating that the Respondent should file and serve the bundle of evidence upon which they intend to rely.
Upon receipt of the Respondent’s bundle, we will then have 28 days to prepare for the appeal, which will include the preparation of witness statements, country expert, objective and medical evidence, if applicable, and the production of an Appeal Skeleton Argument. These documents will form the basis of an Indexed Chronology of Events and Appeal bundle.
Once we have filed our bundle of evidence, the Home Office will have two weeks to review their position and provide their response to the Appeal Skeleton Argument and evidence. Assuming that they are upholding their decision to refuse the claim, the Tribunal will then decide whether to list the appeal for a Case Management Review Hearing or a Full Hearing.
This process can be very lengthy and complex, so we would advise you to seek specialist immigration advice before considering representing yourself at appeal.
FAQ’s
How long does it take for my claim to reach a decision?
Typically, it should take between 6-12 months to receive a decision on asylum claims. However, with the impact of COVID-19 and reduced staffing levels at the Home Office, this may take longer. We are experiencing delays in response times on correspondence and decisions.
What if my claim is refused?
If a fresh claim has been accepted as such, yet still refused, the right of appeal should have been awarded to you. We will advise as to the next steps available where appeals are concerned and in particular whether legal aid funding is available for representation.
What if I am not entitled to Legal Aid?
If you are not entitled to legal aid, it is most likely that you are either not financially eligible or your claim has been assessed by one of our senior members of staff as not meeting the merits criteria. You can see more information on legal aid here, or we charge competitive fees for our immigration services.
