On this page, you will find:
To find organisations working for LGBTQI+ rights, visit our United Kingdom LGBTQI+ Resources page.
For United Kingdom country of origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents visit our United Kingdom COI page.
Refugee protection
Click here to see the numbers and origins of refugees hosted by the United Kingdom.
The following sections contain information on the most important international treaties and agreements of which the United Kingdom is signatory, as well as national legislation relevant to the protection of refugees.
The UK accedes to both the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees as well as its 1967 Protocol. The UK is also State party to the 1954 and 1961 Stateless Conventions, including the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. However, it is not party to key regional instruments, including the European Convention on Nationality and the EU Returns Directive.
Although the UK is state party to the most relevant international treaties relating to refugee protection, it retains significant gaps in terms of protection more broadly. The most recent Parliamentary legislation includes the 2022 Nationality and Borders Act, which many civil society organisations have denounced for its diminishment of protections, including different treatment of refugees based on regular or irregular arrival in the UK.
Legal aid organisations
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Address: BHT Sussex, 144 London Road, Brighton, Sussex BN1 4PH
Tel (general): 01273 645400
Tel (advice): 01273 645455
Email (general): info@bht.org.uk
Email (advice): advice@bht.org.uk
BHT provides specialist service on a range of housing, immigration, and welfare benefit related issues. Appointments can be made by email, telephone, or attending a drop-in session. Their services including specialist housing advice on possession action, homelessness, sustainability of accommodation, tenancy rights, immigration legal service advice and representation in all ares of asylum and human rights, as well as a court duty scheme that provides last-minute emergency advice for people facing eviction who have a court hearing.
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Address: 3-7 Arneway St, Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2BG
Tel (Advice Line): 020 7227 1673
Tel(Immigration Team): 020 7227 1670
Tel (General): 020 7222 1602
Fax: 020 7233 2513
General query email: info@cardinalhumecentre.org.uk
Cardinal Hume Centre offers free legal advice and representation on immigration status cases. Case applications can include asylum cases, EUSS late applications, family and private life, and long stay in the UK. Cardinal Hume Centre cannot assist with work visas, student visas, entry clearance, citizenship applications where this is the only issue, passport or travel document applications, and indefinite leave to remain cases unless client has additional vulnerabilities (e.g. health issues). For assistance, please call the advice line on a Monday between 10am and 12pm. Once you have a confirmed meeting date, you can reach the immigration team for an assessment on the line provided above.
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Address: JCWI, 441 Caledonian Road, London N7 9BG
Irregular Immigrants Helpline: 020 7553 7470 (Open Mon, Tues, Thurs from 10am-1pm)
Tel: 020 7251 8708
Fax: 020 7251 8707
Email: info@jcwi.org.uk
The JCWI deals with all areas of asylum and immigration law, including the provision helplines that assist with general advice, legal aid experts that assist with advice and representation, and toolkits that explain current policies and immigration issues in the UK.
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Address: Find your local branch address here.
Tel: Find your local branch telephone number here.
Email: Find your local branch email here.
The Law Centres offer free legal advice, casework, and representation to individuals and groups on all relevant issues related to immigration, asylum and EUSS.
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Address: 128 City Rd, London EC1V 2NX
Free asylum helpline: 0808 8010 503 (Free and open 24/7)
Office tel: 01304 203 977
Email: info@migranthelpuk.org
Migrant Help provides independent advice and guidance to assist asylum seekers in the UK as they move through and understand the asylum process. Their asylum services include a free helpline that always available and accessible to all. Migrant Help can advise you in your language on issues including how to claim asylum, navigating the process, applying for asylum, applying for accommodation, finding legal representation, accessing healthcare, and other related matters. You can contact them either through the number provided or on their webchat.
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Address: PO Box 79446, London E2 2HS
Tel: +44 7756879276
Case referral email: cases@afghanprobono.org.uk
General query email: mariana@afghanprobono.org.uk
In March 2022, Safe Passage International, Refugee Legal Support, alongside 14 leading law firms, launched the Afghan Pro Bono Initiative which offers pro bono legal representation to Afghan refugees. The project will help people apply to reunited with their family in the UK, access the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, and provide general information on the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme. The initiative will also identify gaps in legal aid provision and advocate for more publicly funded legal aid for refugees and asylum seekers.
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Address: The Woodlawns Centre, 16 Leigham Court Road, London SW16 2PJ
Tel: 0203 490 3443
Email: admin@slr-a.org.uk
The SLRA is regulated by the Office of Immigration Services Commissioner to provide immigration advice at Level 3. SLRA provides youth and adult casework. The former service includes offerings such as immigration, social care needs, destitution support, education, and health. In order to access this service, a young person must be aged between 11-24, have a connection to South London, and either be in the asylum system or vulnerable as a result of their immigration status. The latter services includes further leave and indefinite leave to remain applications, applications for Recourse to Public Funds, support to surivors of domestic violence and/or trafficking, basic asylum advice, and general support.
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Address: 61 Mansell Street, London, E1 8AN
Email: coordinator.uk@refugeelegalsupport.org
RLS provides a Family Reunion from Europe Project, set up in December 2020, that provides legal advice and assistance to people who want to join family members in the UK who could have previously applied under the Dublin Regulations. RLS will place UK family reunion cases from Greece with specialist lawyers in the UK. If you or someone you know wants to make an application to join a family member in the UK, please email the UK Coordinator Efi Stathopoulou at the provided email address above.
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Address: Exeter Community Centre 17 St Davids Hill Exeter EX4 3RG
Tel: 01392 682185
RSD runs a drop-in service clinic on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons (2pm – 4pm) provided at the address above. These clinics include help communicating with other organisations, finding legal representation, as well as general help navigating living in the UK. RSD also runs an immigration advice clinic that is free of charge to find legal advisors and in some cases, represent.
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Email: immigrationclinic@exeter.ac.uk
Exeter’s Community Law Clinic assists individuals who are not eligible for legal aid or otherwise unable to afford legal service, including form filling, letter writing, and legal advice. The Exeter Immigration Clinic, in particular takes cases on leave to remain applications, entry clearance applications, settlement applications, family reunification, nationality or naturalisation, EU settlement, or travel document applications. Priority for cases will be given to individuals with particular vulnerability or urgent need.
Organisations providing other support to refugees
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Address: Leswin Rd, London N16 7NX
Tel: 07856632796
The Hackney Migrant Centre delivers free, weekly advice and support to vulnerable immigrants on issues of housing, welfare, and access to healthcare. The Hackney Migrant Centre runs an advice service that offers free casework on immigration, homelessness and insecure housing, poverty relief, and health advocacy. If you would like to submit an enquiry, follow the link here.
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Address: The Sayes Court, 341 Evelyn St, London SE8 5QX
Tel: 020 8694 0323
Email: info@lrmn.org.uk.
LRMN provides a range of services to refugees and migrants in select London communities. LRMN offers confidential immigration, housing, and welfare benefits advice to those living in Lewisham and neighbouring boroughs. LRMN also has a variety of wellbeing services, including counselling and emotional support, as well as programmes specifically tailored to particularly vulnerable groups such as the Women Together project. Finally, LRMN will also provide emergency support including food parcels and hardship funds.
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Address: Society Building, Regents Wharf, 8 All Saints Street, London, N1 9LR
Email: info@refugee-action.org.uk
Refugee Action gives expert advice and guidance to those struggling to navigate the asylum system. Their support services including resettlement into homes and communities, helping children get into schools, attending and booking doctors appointments, and ensuring a hot meal upon arrival. They also provide training and support to smaller, local organisations aiming to support integration, dignity, and support within refugee communities.
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Address: 98 West George St. Glasgow G2 1PJ
Tel: 0141 353 2220
Email: home@positiveactionh.org
Room for Refugees connects those with a spare room in their home to refugees and asylum seekers in need of somewhere to stay. Though based in Glasgow, Scotland, Room for Refugees has a network of hosts from across the UK and US.
United Kingdom LGBTQI+ Resources
Find organisations working for refugee LGBTQI+ rights in the United Kingdom.
United Kingdom COI
Find United Kingdom Country of Origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents.
We are always looking to expand the resources on our platform. If you know about relevant resources, or you are aware of organisations and/or individuals to include in our directories, please get in touch.
Last updated May 2023