Making a claim for asylum

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Page last updated: July 2025

The first step in the asylum process is making an asylum claim. Making an asylum claim means that you are telling the Home Office you want to seek protection in the UK. You must be physically in the UK to make an asylum claim.

You can make an asylum claim at a port of arrival (an airport, train station or seaport). This means that you will speak to immigration officers when you first cross the border and arrive in the UK.

If you want to claim asylum and you are already in the UK, for example as a student or a worker, you can make an asylum claim through the Asylum Intake Unit.

Making a claim at a port of arrival

To claim asylum at a port of arrival, you must tell the immigration official that you want to claim asylum when you cross the border.

You will usually be interviewed at the port of arrival by an immigration officer. This interview is called a screening interview. This interview could be as short as 30 minutes, but it could also be much longer. You have the right to an interpreter if you need one.

Making a claim through the Asylum Intake Unit

If you are already in the UK when you decide to claim asylum, you will need to call the Asylum Intake Unit to make an appointment for your screening interview. You can find the number and opening hours for the Asylum Intake Unit appointments line here.

You may find it difficult to get through when you telephone the Intake Unit to make an appointment. When you do get through, you will usually have a very short phone call in which you will be asked:

your full name
your date of birth
your address and phone number
if you currently have any immigration status in the UK, and if any family members will be included on your asylum claim.
You will also be asked if you need an interpreter for the interview.

*Make sure to keep a record of the phone calls you make to the Asylum Intake Unit.

The main intake unit in the UK is in Croydon (South London, England). There are also units in Glasgow (Scotland) and Belfast (Northern Ireland). Most people will need to travel to one of these units for their interview.

If you are unable to travel, for example because you are pregnant, have a disability, or have young children, you will need to say this when you telephone the Asylum Intake Unit. The Home Office will decide whether you can be interviewed closer to where you live.

After this phone call, the Home Office will send you a letter confirming the details of your screening interview. The interview might be weeks or months away.

*If you have nowhere to live, you still need to call the asylum registration appointment line. They’ll call you back, and you may be told to attend a screening appointment or to present to a walk-in service. If you have contacted the asylum registration line and have not been accommodated, contact our helpline to speak with an adviser.

Making an asylum claim when you are under 18

If you are younger than 18 years old, you are legally considered a minor in the UK. If you are seeking asylum with a parent or responsible adult, you will be named as a dependent on their asylum application. If you are not in the UK with an adult who is responsible for taking care of you, you can make your own asylum claim as an unaccompanied minor.

The asylum process is a little different if you are a minor who is in the UK without a parent or responsible adult. Some of the information in this guide may not apply to you, and you will have different rights and responsibilities while you are making your claim.

You can find more information about claiming asylum as a minor here.

Making an asylum claim when you have been trafficked

*IMPORTANT: Legal advice

The asylum system is complex and difficult. The most important thing you can do if you are making a claim for asylum is to seek legal advice as soon as you can.

In Scotland, anyone who cannot afford legal advice is entitled to legal aid, even if they have no recourse to public funds (NRPF). Your lawyer will apply to check your eligibility.

Legal aid also covers the cost of an interpreter at legal appointments. If you do not understand what is being said, tell your lawyer and ask for an interpreter.

It may be hard to find a legal representative nearby, especially outside Glasgow, but some offer advice by video or phone. If you are struggling, call our helpline for a list of firms or ask other asylum seekers for recommendations.

*IMPORTANT: Interpretation

You have the right to an interpreter during your interviews with the Home Office.

An interpreter will be provided for you if you need one. You can request a male or female interpreter. If there are any problems with the interpreter – for example, if you cannot understand them, they cannot understand you or you speak a different dialect – it is very important that you tell the Home Office interviewer this and ask them to write it down in the interview transcript.

Need more help?

Call our free, confidential, helpline to speak to one of our experienced advisers (you can ask for an interpreter) or email refugeesupport@scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk.

0808 196 7274

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Making a claim for asylum