Do you advise asylum seekers?
Do you need advice about asylum support or asylum support appeals?
 Call our ASAP Advice Line: 0845 603 3884 (open Mon, Wed, Fri Only).

Why ASAP?

History of ASAP

In 1999, the UK government decided to revolutionalise asylum-seekers’ housing and support by establishing the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) Note that NASS no longer exists, following the introduction of the New Asylum Model (NAM) and asylum support decisions are now made by BIA. Under this new scheme, asylum seekers who require accommodation now face compulsory dispersal to the regions outside London and receive financial support which is set at 70% of Income Support level. Currently, around 46,000 asylum seekers are supported by NASS. In London, 10,000 receive support from NASS with 9,000 receiving cash-only support.

While there is a right of appeal to the Asylum Support Tribunal where support has been refused or withdrawn by BIA, no public funding is available for legal representation for asylum seekers at these hearings. As a result many appellants attend their hearings unrepresented and unadvised, leaving them unable to defend themselves adequately against possible destitution and homelessness.

In 2000, concerned law practitioners, advice agencies and voluntary organisations started lobbying the Legal Service Commission for proper funding. When this was unsuccessful, they then constituted themselves as a registered charity in 2004, became trustees of the charity and started seeking funding to set up a voluntary organisation, the Asylum Support Appeals Project, to fill this gap. Among them, these trustees have expertise in asylum support law and advice, knowledge of working with asylum seekers and refugee community organisations, setting up new projects, and above all, a shared commitment to safeguarding the rights of this most vulnerable group of individuals in the UK today - asylum seekers.

After five years of dedicated hard work by the trustees, ASAP formally launched itself as an independent voluntary organisation in June 2005 with the help of generous funding from the Big Lottery Fund, the City Parochial Foundation and others.

If you share our values and would like to be a part of this exciting initiative, please become a member. Membership is free for Refugee Community Organisations. Please see becoming a member page for more information.

Annual Report 2006/07
Annual Report 2005/06
Annual Report 2004/05