16th July 2019 – An introduction to LASSN & The Asylum Journey

Introduction to LASSN 

Find our more about Leeds Asylum Seekers Support Network – who we are, what we do, how we work. We’ll discuss the role of a volunteer and how volunteers are supported by LASSN.

The Asylum Journey

Whether you know nothing about the UK asylum system, or whether you’ve been through it yourself, this is a chance to look at the asylum journey.

This session will explore some of the reasons that people come here seeking safety and the varied journeys they take to get to the UK. We’ll look at the process of claiming asylum and gaining refugee status in the UK.

Many people who come here seeking safety face lots of barriers, uncertainty and a long wait. We’re not expecting you to become experts in immigration law(!) but we’ll give an overview of how the system is supposed to work, as well as some of the hardships it can cause. We’ll also help you understand some of the jargon and acronyms that might come up in conversation with your befriendee/learner/guest – who are G4S? Why do people go to Croyden? When can you make a fresh claim?

We deliver these two sessions back to back, so you complete them both in about 4 hours. Please don’t worry if these sessions look long: we’ll always make sure there’s plenty of chance for a break, and plenty of food for dinner/tea to keep you going.