Maria

Sometimes a case is referred to us which hasn’t received the attention or care it deserves. Maria’s case was one of these. Maria had the impression that she wasn’t being listened to – neither during her Home Office interview nor by the solicitor representing her. “The previous lawyer did not even give me a chance to talk. He just wrote down what he thought and decided for me. I was never given a platform where I could express my feelings. He said to my face early on: ‘This case won’t win.’ He judged me and never took the time to listen to my story.” Maria’s story is filled with a lot of pain and distress, which made ...

Abdullah

“I never thought that during my lifetime I would have to leave my home. We were a wealthy family with a farm and many livestock animals, but then the war came to our area, and everything was burnt to the ground. My father was detained as he was accused of giving food and clothing to the rebels. He was tortured and passed away shortly afterwards.”Abdullah came to the UK in 2014 and was granted leave in the same year. He came alone to the UK, leaving his wife in Sudan because the journey was too dangerous. As soon as he was granted leave, he worked hard to learn English, to integrate, and to learn the way of life in Wales. At the same time, he ...

Mirela

Asylum seekers who have exhausted all appeal rights sometimes have fresh grounds or compelling new evidence with which they can make further submissions to the Home Office in support of their previous asylum claim. Some simply never had their claim fully considered the first time around due to poor quality legal representation or an appeal not being lodged in time. Many of these clients will be completely destitute, having spent years in enforced poverty and homelessness in the UK due to their lack of legal status. For most, returning home is not an option due to continued fears for their safety.  Mirela* was referred to Asylum Justice by ...

Julia

Journeys to the UK can be difficult due to the lack of safe and legal routes. Many people make a heart-breaking decision to send one member of their family ahead and to later apply for family reunion. This is a decision which Julia*, a single mum, had to take when she was at immediate risk and had to flee her home country, leaving her children to be looked after by another family member. “I had to leave my country as I was under direct threat, and I came to the UK alone as that is all we could afford. Separating myself from my children was terrible. I was really depressed, and we were all so worried about how long it might be until we see each ...