When someone makes an asylum application in the UK, the Home Office must decide whether to accept this application. They do this by interviewing the applicant and reviewing any evidence presented. They might refer to statements from people who know the applicant, and to relevant information about the country that the applicant has fled from.
The process is explained in four videos produced by Right to Remain. There is additional information below explaining how and why a representative of a Christadelphian ecclesia might be asked to be involved.
Farsi version, Kurdish Sorani version.
The first stage of the process is the screening interview. This will normally take place before the asylum applicant has attended any Christadelphian classes.
Farsi version, Kurdish Sorani version.
Please note that the information about transferring a claim to another European country is no longer current. The Dublin III Regulation no longer applies to the UK from 31 December 2020. The UK government has stated its intention to continue transferring claims to other countries where possible, but it is not yet clear how this process will work.
The next stage of the process is the substantive interview. This normally takes place several months after the screening interview. However, in some cases, people may wait two years or more for a substantive interview. Waiting times have increased significantly in the last few years. While they are waiting for their substantive interview, an asylum applicant generally lives in basic accommodation provided by the Home Office and is not permitted to work.
In preparation for a substantive interview, an applicant might:
- request a letter from an ecclesia, confirming attendance and providing information which is relevant to the asylum claim (e.g. confirmation of baptism if their claim is based on religion). This is very common.
- ask for someone from the ecclesia to attend the substantive interview with them. This is unusual.
Writing a letter
The request to write a letter confirming attendance or providing information will often come from the applicant’s legal representative. In some cases it will be sent long before a substantive interview date has been set; in other cases a request will be only before the interview. It is vital that a response is provided promptly. Ecclesias should already have the relevant information to hand before receiving a request.
An ecclesia may be asked to confirm:
- when the applicant began attending
- the nature of the classes or meetings they have been attending
- how frequently they attend
- whether or not they have been baptised
- whether or not they have participated in evangelisation (i.e. preaching or witnessing to their faith)
- other information which may support their claim to be a Christian believer.
The purpose of the letter is to outline what has taken place during the period the applicant has attended the ecclesia, not to relay information the applicant may given about their life in Iran or their journey to the UK. If they have attended other ecclesias in the UK, it is important to make sure that this information is also provided.
There is no standard letter template. Circumstances will vary from ecclesia to ecclesia, and from applicant to applicant. ‘Copy-paste’ letters may not be accurate and will lack credibility. It is important that the letter is an account of the ecclesia’s experience of the individual in question. Letters may differ considerably depending on how long they have been attending and to what extent they have become involved in ecclesial life.
Questions are asked about baptism and evangelisation because these are indications of a commitment to, and not simply an interest in, Christianity. It is not the case that someone must already be baptised in order for their claim to be accepted by the Home Office. However, if they have not yet been baptised, they may be asked in interview why this has not yet taken place. Preparing for baptism is often a longer process in Christadelphian ecclesias compared to some other Christian communities. For this reason, it is helpful to highlight this in the letter and indicate if the applicant has requested baptism, or is attending a ‘Preparing for Baptism’ class. This avoids the interviewer wrongly assuming that baptism has been delayed due to lack of commitment on the part of the applicant, or doubts about their genuineness on the part of the church.
It is also helpful to explain that Christadelphian beliefs differ from those of other denominations and to provide a brief layman’s summary of our beliefs and practices. The BBC article on Christadelphians is a good example of this. Referring to this will help the interviewer avoid questions which will be of little relevance to a Christadelphian member, such as ‘When is Lent?’
Involvement in evangelisation is an indication that someone is open about their faith. It has been argued on some occasions that if someone does not talk about their faith publicly, they are not at risk of persecution. Evangelisation might include personal witness (e.g. talking to friends or family, or writing about Christianity on personal social media pages) or ecclesial witness (e.g. manning a literature table, distributing leaflets in a town centre, or participating in a preaching talk as a teacher or translator).
The letter should come from a named representative of the ecclesia, written on headed notepaper, and include an email address and telephone number so that information can be verified or clarified by the applicant’s legal representative or the Home Office.
Attending a substantive interview with an asylum seeker
The current specimen interview invitation letter provided by the Home Office and Refugee Council indicates that others are permitted to accompany the applicant on the applicant’s request. The relevant information is as follows:
You may bring a legal representative, social worker, a member of your faith group or other support to yourinterview. However, they cannot take part in your interview and we will not delay your interview to wait for supporters to arrive. Currently the requirement to maintain social distancing may limit the number of people who can safely occupy an interview room, so if you wish to be accompanied at your interview, please call us at least three days in advance to establish whether this will be possible, or whether an alternative may be appropriate.
Anyone who is attending the interview with you, including legal representatives, will also need to show photographic identification such as a passport, social worker identification card, biometric residence permit, driving licence or ARC, so that we can verify their identity.
The following video explains how the substantive interview works:
Farsi version, Kurdish Sorani version.
Following the substantive interview, the applicant will be contacted to be told whether their claim has been accepted or refused. Acceptance normally means that they are given leave to remain. If they have been refused, they will often be able to appeal. This video explains the process (note that for Iranian Christian asylum seekers the refusal rate is generally lower than that stated in the video):
Refugee Preaching Resources 