Enabling asylum seekers who have very recently been granted refugee status to transition successfully from living as asylum seekers in Home Office accommodation, to living independently in alternative accommodation and integrating successfully into local communities throughout Leeds, Bradford & Wakefield.
The Challenge...
Currently, newly granted refugees are given a 28 day “grace period” before the Home Office withdraws all financial and accommodation support. During this period, they are expected to:
- Access mainstream benefits or employment, along with their National Insurance Number
- Secure their own accommodation
- Open a current bank account in which to receive their financial support
This rapid change in circumstances is a challenge for newly arrived refugees, often with limited or no understanding of the English language and UK systems.
Equally, family reunion members who join a family member in the UK who already has positive leave to remain status, have no grace period at all as do not go through the same asylum process and often find themselves destitute as a result.
- Access mainstream benefits or employment, along with their National Insurance Number
- Secure their own accommodation
- Open a current bank account in which to receive their financial support
This rapid change in circumstances is a challenge for newly arrived refugees, often with limited or no understanding of the English language and UK systems.
Equally, family reunion members who join a family member in the UK who already has positive leave to remain status, have no grace period at all as do not go through the same asylum process and often find themselves destitute as a result.
The Solution
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As this project has a key focus on successful transition to independent living and is constrained by a very short 'grace-period', it is important that priorities are established in order to reduce the risk of destitution. In order to address essential needs such as housing and financial support, our advisers work through a systematic action plan with our service users. This action plan was developed using our understanding of the process and has developed in line with our continually expanding knowledge of the challenges faced.
The other crucial part of this project is our mentoring scheme which involves using trained volunteer mentors to support advisers by taking services users to appointments, helping them to access key services and
We are also continually developing links with different organisations who can assist with parts of the process including with housing, bank accounts, employability, furniture, benefits etc
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Impact
"You give me confidence by telling me that I have the ability to sort out my needs...I agree now because now I speak good English and my wife is a PhD graduate in pharmacy" 
Our mentors are often newly granted refugees who have themselves just been through the process which creates a really strong peer-to-peer support structure.
“Only this morning I felt extremely worried about how I would manage everything, but now I have come to RETAS and I know everything is going to be OK.” |
"Thank you so much for all your support. Really, you cared about me even when I didn't care about myself." |
Some of our mentors are also still asylum seekers which has helped to prepare them for what they must do when they are themselves granted refugee status.
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ReferralsWho is eligible for this project?
Who can refer?
How to refer?
For more information on the 28 Day Transition project, please contact the RETAS Office: - alice@retasleeds.co.uk - 0113 380 5630 |
How can you help?
We are continually training new and existing mentors to support advisers to ensure that service users avoid isolation, debt issues and destitution.
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28 Day Transition MentorA role that involves assisting refugees in the time period from gaining refugee status, in order to avoid isolation and destitution. This is a challenging time when individuals have 28 days to secure accommodation, register for benefits and find a job.
Both office based & external; Leeds, Bradford or Wakefield; varied times & days. Click here to find out more... |