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When do you need an asylum lawyer? 

When do you need an asylum lawyer?

Seeking asylum in a foreign country is not a recent practice, neither is it uncommon. Data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that over 4.2 million people live in ninety-four nations as asylum seekers.

Asylum seekers are people applying for residence in a foreign land to protect themselves from their native countries. If the request is granted, then you have at most five years to stay.

Asylum applications do not receive automatic approval from the host country. Many times, countries deny these requests and cause the applicants to return to their country. The need for legal representation will arise one time or the other. So, when exactly do you need an asylum lawyer?

We’ll examine in this article what stage of your quest for asylum you’ll need an asylum lawyer. But before then, who is an asylum lawyer?

An asylum lawyer is a legal representative that is familiar with the laws and processes of seeking asylum in a country. These lawyers are conversant with the requirements of the country for would-be refugees. As a result, they can give guidance to people seeking asylum.

Most asylum lawyers also know matters concerning immigration regarding their resident country. To get one, you must be in the country through legal means.

Meanwhile, the service of an asylum solicitor or lawyer is crucial when you have to do the following:

1. Determine if you are qualified for asylum

An asylum lawyer has the experience to act as the first sieve before you proceed to apply for asylum. The lawyer checks your claims to know if they are tenable before the UK government. An experienced asylum lawyer knows what the laws of the land states concerning your claims for asylum. If your points won’t stand, the lawyer would suggest the possible options you can take.

2. Prepare a watertight application

By all considerations, you can be eligible for asylum, but a wrong application can lower your chance. You know what happens if your appeal does not gather any sympathy from the host country. Asylum lawyers know the right way to file your application to get the attention of the authorities. These lawyers will pick out matters that would press home your claims without indicting you.

3. Provide the necessary documents

Applying for asylum requires several documentations. Asides from the general one about you, there is a need to provide documents to back your claims. One of these documents is a detailed report of the country you are coming from that proves a threat to your life. Without any doubt, it would require someone with the know-how of the workings of the legal system to prepare such a document.

4. Preparing and attending the interview

One of the processes involved in getting an asylum status is an interview with the Home Office. The authorizing office needs to hear from you why your country is persecuting you. Also, you have to explain and convince them that it is unsafe for you to return to your country.

An asylum lawyer helps you prepare for the most -likely questions the Home office will ask you and how to answer them convincingly. Meanwhile, you have the right to legal representation at the interview too. Your asylum lawyer would help you interpret any question that isn’t clear to you.

5. When Appealing a Decision

After the interview, the Home Offices decide whether to grant or deny you asylum. If the decision does not go in your favour, there is still a chance to appeal.

Your asylum lawyer will help to file an appeal for reconsideration. The whole process can be tedious, but your asylum lawyer is the best person to help you out of that dire situation.

6. Regularize your stay

If the Home Office grants your request for asylum, you will receive leave to remain, usually five years. After this period is over, you can apply for a settlement or extension of stay. If you don’t, you must leave the country. The service of your asylum lawyer comes in handy again.

Final Thoughts

To put it mildly, you stand only a slight chance of getting your request to be a refugee granted. That doesn’t mean your claims are wrong, but the intricacies of the application may be too complex for you.

You have the right to be safe from threats to life. An asylum lawyer will help you from the start to the finish of the process. That said your need for an asylum lawyer is complimentary to your need for protection.

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