Asylum Seekers Unit


 

YHN Asylum Seekers Unit

We work to a contract with the Home Office in addition to two Service Level Agreements with Newcastle City Council.  We provide advice, support and accommodation for people who have applied to the Home Office for asylum.  This includes:

  • people who are awaiting a decision on their asylum claim;
  • people who have been refused asylum, but are unable to immediately return to their home country (Section 4 support);
  • people who have been refused asylum and have serious health needs (Newcastle City Council Adult Services support);
  • people who have been refused asylum and have since become a family with children (Newcastle City Council Children’s Services).

We have been assessed by the Government as providing Excellent Customer Service.  We have achieved this by working in partnership with a large number of other agencies in the public, private, voluntary and community sectors.

Click here to read our mission statement.

The three main parts of our work

  • Ongoing support - we support households while they wait for a decision on their asylum application or have other support withdrawn (as above). 
  • Managing properties - we are responsible for managing a large number of properties during the lifetime of our contract with the Home Office.  A number of our properties are suitable for families and the rest are suitable to accommodate single people.  We use both Council and private sector properties.
  • Raising awareness - we want to ensure that people seeking asylum are free from discrimination and prejudice whilst they stay in Newcastle.  We work with partners and local communities to help achieve this. 

We also provide a responsive and flexible source of funding for community and voluntary projects in Newcastle upon Tyne.  Funding is available to projects that are of direct benefit to people seeking asylum or those with refugee status living or working in the Newcastle upon Tyne area.
private sector properties.

Find out more about the Asylum Seekers Unit (ASU):

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