Asylum Seekers Support
Housing Advice
The 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees defines a refugee as someone who has fled their country due to 'a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion'.
An asylum seeker is someone who arrives in a new country and makes an asylum application. It is then up to the Government to decide if their claim meets the definition of a refugee.
Under the Immigration and Asylum Act of 1999, asylum seekers who arrived in the UK after 2 April 2000 are not provided for by the Council. The Home Office provides housing and support services through the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA)
Under the National Assistance Act of 1948 different rules may apply to asylum seekers who arrived prior to 3 April 2000. Please contact the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit for further information regarding this.
Asylum Seekers whose application has been refused often encounter homelessness and face difficulty in obtaining accommodation. Advice can be provided from the links below.
