What you are asked, what to say straight away, and why the record of this interview follows you to the end.
December 3, 2024
To claim asylum in the United Kingdom, the sentence is simple: “I want to claim asylum.” Say it.
The screening interview happens very soon after you arrive, sometimes by phone. It is not recorded: what survives is what the officer writes. Answer in short, simple sentences.
You have the right to an interpreter you understand. If you do not understand, say so immediately — not at the end, immediately.
Name every relative, without exception: spouse, children, parents, brothers and sisters, wherever they are. A name left out at this stage can close down a family reunion application years later. And do not guess a date of birth: if you do not know it, say you do not know it.
The journey: say every country you travelled through, and whether you claimed asylum or were granted protection there. The government will find out, and finding out later damages your case far more than saying it today. If you could not claim asylum in one of those countries, or did not feel safe there, you have the right to explain that.
To the question “why did you come to the UK?”, Refugee Legal Support's sheet gives one answer: “to claim asylum”. It is a question about law, not about your personal reasons; language, family or work can be turned against you as evidence that you came for something other than protection.
At this stage a summary of what you are fleeing is expected, not your full story. Say too whether you were detained, mistreated, tortured, forced to work unpaid, to sell drugs or to have sex, or kept somewhere you could not leave — whether at home or on the journey.
Talk about your health: it will not affect the decision on your claim. Say your illnesses, disabilities, medication, whether you are or might be pregnant, and your mental health, including what has never been diagnosed. Saying it gets you care and gets you recognised as vulnerable, which changes how the process treats you. If you feel too unwell to do the interview, say so at the start.
You will be asked where you are going to sleep: ask for asylum accommodation, unless you are certain you can stay with family or friends. It is difficult to get later if you turned it down at the start.
After the interview, ask for a copy of the record, read it, and check that what is written is what you said. Give it to your lawyer. The government will compare this interview with every later one. Register with a GP as soon as you can, too.