Frequently Asked Questions
3. Refused asylum in UK
- I am in UK and have been refused asylum. What happens?
- How do I lodge an appeal?
- I am in detention. How long do I have to get the form to the AIT?
- I am in detention. How do I make an application for bail?
- I am not in detention. How long do I have to get the form to the AIT?
- How long do you allow for the postal service to deliver the UK Border Agency decision to me?
- My appeal will be late. What should I do?
- My English isn't very good. Can I submit the forms in another language?
I am in UK and have been refused asylum. What happens?
If the UK Border Agency decide to refuse your application for asylum, they will send an appeal form (AIT1) and guidance notes to you with their decision. A copy of an appeal form and guidance notes can be found at: Forms & Guidance.
How do I lodge an appeal?
To lodge an appeal you must return your appeal form together with any additional supporting documentation to us at:
Asylum and Immigration TribunalPO Box 7866
Loughborough
LE11 2XZ
Fax 01509 221699
You are advised to make copies of the completed form and all documents that support your appeal for yourself.
I am in detention. How long do I have to get the form to the AIT?
If you are in detention we must receive your appeal form within 5 business days (business days means Monday-Friday. UK holidays do not count as business days) following the day you received the notice of decision.
I am in detention. How do I make an application for bail?
If you want to apply for bail you should send or arrange for the application form to be delivered to the court where you intend to make your application. The application can be served on the custody officer. An application form can be found at: Forms & Guidance
If you do not know which court will deal with your application you can find out by contacting the Customer Services Centre on 0845 6000 877/0044 6000 877
You are advised to keep a copy of the application for your records.
I am not in detention. How long do I have to get the form to the AIT?
If you are not in detention you have 10 business days (business days mean Monday-Friday, UK holidays do not count as business days) from the day you received the notice of decision to get your appeal form to us.
How long do you allow for the postal service to deliver the Home Office decision to me?
The decision will show the date it was sent out. We allow two days for you to receive the notice.
My appeal will be late. What should I do?
If your appeal will not be received by the required date, you must explain why you were not able to send it to us in time. You can do this in section 2 of the AIT1 application form. An Immigration Judge will then consider the documents and decide whether there are special circumstances that will allow your appeal to proceed. The Judge will not make a decision on your appeal at that stage. The Judge will only consider if your appeal can be heard in full.
My English isn't very good. Can I submit the forms in another language?
No. All documents in the appeal process must be written or translated into English. The translations must be signed by the translator to certify that the translation is accurate and the translation attached to the original document. It is your responsibility to make sure documents are translated.
The only exception to this is if any proceedings are to be held in Wales or have a connection with Wales. In those cases you can choose to file documents in Welsh if you prefer to do so.
