Naturalisation application delays for Refugees Applicants

[Small]

It’s upsetting me. I can’t imagine an organisation is having team in which few are unaccountable of their actions. Never heard so far.
Definitely not a systematic, and replies from HO is like you are chatting to someone on Tinder. No freedom of information, no equality and badly informed approached.
You pay huge fees, Pay more and get better service do all tests, pay the taxes, voting and after waiting a long time will get a result ! Oh it’s a privilege!
Can anyone tell me please how to stop receiving comments here. I just want to have a normal life.The world would be so much better without this.
Thank you all. Stay safe

[London22]

It’s upsetting me. I can’t imagine an organisation is having team in which few are unaccountable of their actions. Never heard so far.
Definitely not a systematic, and replies from HO is like you are chatting to someone on Tinder. No freedom of information, no equality and badly informed approached.
You pay huge fees, Pay more and get better service do all tests, pay the taxes, voting and after waiting a long time will get a result ! Oh it’s a privilege!
Can anyone tell me please how to stop receiving comments here. I just want to have a normal life.The world would be so much better without this.
Thank you all. Stay safe

Some members of public are more hostile as the home office is as they always defend immoral policies of home office.Covid 19 has no significant impact on delaying applications.It is clear that business is being made with hostile service.Twists in rules make things hard &hard everyday.It is not that some caseworkers make decisions quick &some slow but the truth is this system is fit for business but not for service.
They are deporting a lot of people &forcing a lot to leave this country voluntarily by making things hard & unfair.

[milads]

Hi all,

I wonder to know how many refugees waiting for their application.
Please share your timeline on below link:

british-citizenship/refugees-naturalisa ... l#p1901008

[CR001]

Hi all,

I wonder to know how many refugees waiting for their application.
Please share your timeline on below link:

british-citizenship/refugees-naturalisa ... l#p1901008

We do not need a specific timeline thread for refugees. It has been removed from the forum page. Refugee members can all post in the same timeline threads as everyone else.

[BoyTed]

Hello Everyone,
What happened to PPTP?
Apparently he was on track trying to draft complaint letter so where is he??
I hope the admin didn't block him God forbid as that is the route to dictatorship.

Hi BoyTed,
It looks he has been blocked but I don't know why the blocked him.

Oh get a grip. User PPTP has NOT been 'blocked' from the forum and last logged in this morning at 11:07am. Maybe they are busy with life and not refreshing the forum page every 5 minutes!!!

It is non of your business if anyone refresh this forum every 5 minutes!!!

CR001 with respect we don't refresh every 5 minutes that's not a fair comment as we have a busy life too.
My next point its been over a week PPTP is missing and the we know he would have responded ive got funny feeling he's been blocked.

[CR001]

Hi BoyTed,
It looks he has been blocked but I don't know why the blocked him.

Oh get a grip. User PPTP has NOT been 'blocked' from the forum and last logged in this morning at 11:07am. Maybe they are busy with life and not refreshing the forum page every 5 minutes!!!

It is non of your business if anyone refresh this forum every 5 minutes!!!

CR001 with respect we don't refresh every 5 minutes that's not a fair comment as we have a busy life too.
My next point its been over a week PPTP is missing and the we know he would have responded ive got funny feeling he's been blocked.

The user hasn't been blocked!!!

Last login to the forum for user PPTP below. Members can choose to respond to a question or not. They cannot be forced to respond.

Username: PPTP
Last active:
Tue May 19, 2020 9:51 am

[BoyTed]

Oh get a grip. User PPTP has NOT been 'blocked' from the forum and last logged in this morning at 11:07am. Maybe they are busy with life and not refreshing the forum page every 5 minutes!!!

It is non of your business if anyone refresh this forum every 5 minutes!!!

CR001 with respect we don't refresh every 5 minutes that's not a fair comment as we have a busy life too.
My next point its been over a week PPTP is missing and the we know he would have responded ive got funny feeling he's been blocked.

The user hasn't been blocked!!!

Last login to the forum for user PPTP below. Members can choose to respond to a question or not. They cannot be forced to respond.

Username: PPTP
Last active:
Tue May 19, 2020 9:51 am

Fair enough and apologies.

[Oria]

Good Morning,

Thank you for your email

By way of background, naturalisation is not an automatic process and we have to make a number of enquiries before we can reach a decision on whether to grant citizenship.
The nature and extent of those enquiries, and the length of time taken to complete them, varies according to the particular circumstance of each application.
The progress of outstanding enquiries is regularly monitored with the agencies carrying out these enquiries on our behalf. It is only when we have the results of the enquiries that we can reach a decision on whether citizenship should be granted. We do not, ourselves, carry out these checks and we cannot, therefore, be sure how long they will take in each case.
I appreciate that UKVI website gives the following information in relation to waiting times for naturalisation applications:
"All applications for citizenship are subject to enquiries to ensure that the statutory requirements have been satisfied. Because of these enquires, we anticipate that applications may take up to six months to complete. Some applications may be dealt with more quickly and some may take longer, depending on the nature of the enquiries to be carried out".
As you will note, it is also made clear on the website that, in some cases, these enquiries may take longer than average to complete. You will appreciate the need to be careful and thorough in such matters.

These enquiries are still ongoing in regards to your application and we are sorry for the delay. As soon as the enquiries outstanding on your application are completed, we will ensure that an immediate decision is taken, and that you will be notified accordingly.

Kind regards,

UKVI


——————————
Hi everyone
I received the above this morning after sending an email request for update. I applied on 21st July more than 10 months ago. No hint if Covid-19 being the cause for delay and you can read it. Very frustrating. I ain’t an economic migrant but have invested own my own business, also on salary paying taxes. No background issues. Requested my SAR report and received it in April. No issues, only have an arrest recorded when my staff who run away with my business money 3k claimed that I had threatened him. In that case I was released without no charge and asked not to contact the person again given a NO Further Action slip. I cannot comprehend, what’s wrong with the system and why different responses each time I email? Last time I was told it was in the queue awaiting allocation. Sad

[secret.simon]

The progress of outstanding enquiries is regularly monitored with the agencies carrying out these enquiries on our behalf. It is only when we have the results of the enquiries that we can reach a decision on whether citizenship should be granted. We do not, ourselves, carry out these checks and we cannot, therefore, be sure how long they will take in each case.

I think this is a very significant sentence in the letter above. It suggests that at least a part of the naturalisation process is out-sourced.

That would also suggest that there is no point in chasing up the caseworkers/Home Office, either directly or through the MP, as the checks themselves are outsourced and the Home Office itself is in the dark as to their status. That does explain why most of the time MPs get as bland a response as the applicants themselves.

[Oria]

The progress of outstanding enquiries is regularly monitored with the agencies carrying out these enquiries on our behalf. It is only when we have the results of the enquiries that we can reach a decision on whether citizenship should be granted. We do not, ourselves, carry out these checks and we cannot, therefore, be sure how long they will take in each case.

I think this is a very significant sentence in the letter above. It suggests that at least a part of the naturalisation process is out-sourced.

That would also suggest that there is no point in chasing up the caseworkers/Home Office, either directly or through the MP, as the checks themselves are outsourced and the Home Office itself is in the dark as to their status. That does explain why most of the time MPs get as bland a response as the applicants themselves.

Thank you, Simon. I get your point. They may relay on others external bodies to provide feedback. But cannot understand what checks they are that only involves ppl with refugee background. It’s very rare for other cases category of applicants to take such a long time.

I appreciate you thoughtful response. Thank you.

[secret.simon]

Thank you, Simon. I get your point.

I meant to make the points in my immediately preceding post to a wider audience, essentially all those who contribute to or read this thread. That post was not targeted at you

But cannot understand what checks they are that only involves ppl with refugee background. It’s very rare for other cases category of applicants to take such a long time.

Also see this post earlier in this thread. The link in that thread explains at least partially the potential reasons for a more rigorous assessment of applicants with a refugee past.

[ariskar]

... We do not, ourselves, carry out these checks and we cannot, therefore, be sure how long they will take in each case.

I think this is a very significant sentence in the letter above. It suggests that at least a part of the naturalisation process is out-sourced.

That would also suggest that there is no point in chasing up the caseworkers/Home Office, either directly or through the MP, as the checks themselves are outsourced and the Home Office itself is in the dark as to their status. That does explain why most of the time MPs get as bland a response as the applicants themselves.

By outsourcing part or the entire checks process to private entities which can affect the outcome of applications the HO is indirectly privatizing (part of) the decision-making. When a caseworker is not in control of the quality and truthfulness of the checks, or their outcome reports, yet he has to base his/her decision with significant weighting on these findings, we end up having private entities effectively deciding naturalisation applications. Which in itself can be deemed a dubious practice at best.

Does anyone know which are these external agencies and how their practices and service standards are quality controlled and regulated?

[Oria]

... We do not, ourselves, carry out these checks and we cannot, therefore, be sure how long they will take in each case.

I think this is a very significant sentence in the letter above. It suggests that at least a part of the naturalisation process is out-sourced.

That would also suggest that there is no point in chasing up the caseworkers/Home Office, either directly or through the MP, as the checks themselves are outsourced and the Home Office itself is in the dark as to their status. That does explain why most of the time MPs get as bland a response as the applicants themselves.

By outsourcing part or the entire checks process to private entities which can affect the outcome of applications the HO is indirectly privatizing (part of) the decision-making. When a caseworker is not in control of the quality and truthfulness of the checks, or their outcome reports, yet he has to base his/her decision with significant weighting on these findings, we end up having private entities effectively deciding naturalisation applications. Which in itself can be deemed a dubious practice at best.

Does anyone know which are these external agencies and how their practices and service standards are quality controlled and regulated?

Hi Ariksar,
I do not know if many are left to comment. I applied on 21 July still no news, paid taxes, own my own company, clear background back in my home country worked With the UN and liaised with all ambassador level officials of EU/USA/NATO and left for very obvious reasons. And I was granted refugee leave only within less than 2 weeks after interview Very quick due to my high profile job in my home country. Only issue is that I lost 2 travel docS which I reported and cancelled them instantly if that’s the sticking point. No issues was issued replacements. No idea what’s wrong really? Feel very bad. I choose to seek refuge in the uK because I had studied here, while I had the option of going to the USA, or rest of Europe as I had valid visas for the USA and Eu countries on my passportS when I arrived and claimed asylum in the UK. I have no idea, it’s frustrating. What are those checks?

[Danbet]

HI guys. I have been waiting for more than 10 months on my naturalisation application (applied on July 15 2019). I am a refugee route and realise other refugees has been facing the same issue. I emailed HO this week and got the following reply from NationalitySupportTeamFMT@homeoffice.gov.uk.

I have been following this page for a while but never come across such email. it seems just general explanation for delais. In my case I have a clear record and believes any of the factors should have not be an issue. Did anyone received this email before? Is there any alternative solution please?


Good Afternoon,
Thank you for your email

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to complete every case within our service standard, particularly if an applicant has a complex immigration history or if further enquiries need to be made.

Published guidance has now been clarified to explain the factors that may contribute to a case being classed as complex.

Examples of relevant factors include:

Criminality,
Previous refusal of asylum,
Previous grant of a period of Leave to remain exceptionally outside the Immigration Rules,
Periods of overstaying between previous applications,
Evidence of illegal working or illegal entry,
European Nationals who do not provide evidence of Permanent Residence in UK,
Failure to comply with immigration reporting restrictions, and
Financial irregularities.

This is of course not an exhaustive list, simply an indication of some of the factors which would trigger a higher level of scrutiny, the relevant guidance can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/chap ... structions. Please note that although investigation of these factors may be delaying your application – this does not automatically mean that your application will be refused – but simply that more investigation is required. You will receive your decision when a complete consideration has been made.

One of the requirements for naturalisation, set out in the British Nationality Act 1981, concerns good character. The British Nationality Act 1981 contains no definition of "good character". The Secretary of State's approach to determining whether or not, for this purpose, an applicant is of good character is set out in guidance which has been published at on our website at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... idance.pdf

A broad view is taken when judging whether this requirement is satisfied. We take into consideration, amongst other things, the activities past and present of an individual, and the openness and honesty of a prospective citizen when assessing whether this requirement has been satisfied. Applicants are expected to have shown respect for the rights and freedoms of the UK, observed its laws and fulfilled their duties and obligations as a resident of the UK.

It may be helpful to know that our enquiries are not limited to criminal records or to a persons activities within the UK. Nor is there a limit set out in nationality law on the time taken to carry out those enquiries.

As part of the application process, we routinely conduct enquiries with other government departments and external agencies. The extent and length of time taken to complete these varies according to the particular circumstance of each application.

Once all necessary enquiries are concluded we will then be in a position to consider the applications. Please be advised that it is not possible to provide a timescale for a decision to be issued, as this will depend on the findings of any of the previously mentioned enquiries and a full consideration of each case. Please also note that Coronavirus (COVID 19) is further delaying decisions at this time.

We will write to you once a decision has been reached, or if we require any further information.

Kind regards,



UKVI

[Danbet]

A similar, but sort of different answer my spouse received today (almost 10 months since application):

Good Morning,

Thank you for your email.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to complete every case within our service standard, particularly if an applicant has a complex immigration history or if further enquiries need to be made.

Published guidance has now been clarified to explain the factors that may contribute to a case being classed as complex.

Examples of relevant factors include:

Criminality,
Previous refusal of asylum,
Previous grant of a period of Leave to remain exceptionally outside the Immigration Rules,
Periods of overstaying between previous applications,
Evidence of illegal working or illegal entry,
European Nationals who do not provide evidence of Permanent Residence in UK,
Failure to comply with immigration reporting restrictions, and
Financial irregularities.

This is of course not an exhaustive list, simply an indication of some of the factors which would trigger a higher level of scrutiny, the relevant guidance can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/chap ... structions. Please note that although investigation of these factors may be delaying your application – this does not automatically mean that your application will be refused – but simply that more investigation is required. You will receive your decision when a complete consideration has been made.

One of the requirements for naturalisation, set out in the British Nationality Act 1981, concerns good character. The British Nationality Act 1981 contains no definition of "good character". The Secretary of State's approach to determining whether or not, for this purpose, an applicant is of good character is set out in guidance which has been published at on our website at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... idance.pdf

A broad view is taken when judging whether this requirement is satisfied. We take into consideration, amongst other things, the activities past and present of an individual, and the openness and honesty of a prospective citizen when assessing whether this requirement has been satisfied. Applicants are expected to have shown respect for the rights and freedoms of the UK, observed its laws and fulfilled their duties and obligations as a resident of the UK.

It may be helpful to know that our enquiries are not limited to criminal records or to a persons activities within the UK. Nor is there a limit set out in nationality law on the time taken to carry out those enquiries.

As part of the application process, we routinely conduct enquiries with other government departments and external agencies. The extent and length of time taken to complete these varies according to the particular circumstance of each application.

Once all necessary enquiries are concluded we will then be in a position to consider the applications. Please be advised that it is not possible to provide a timescale for a decision to be issued, as this will depend on the findings of any of the previously mentioned enquiries and a full consideration of each case. Please also note that Coronavirus (COVID 19) is further delaying decisions at this time.

We will write to you once a decision has been reached, or if we require any further information.

Kind regards,
UKVI

I got the same reply today. I applied on July 15, 2019. more than 10.5 months. From following the site, I realise this response is not common. Do you think there could be specific reason. I dont have any issues in my record. Is there any undate on your case? thanks in advance.

[Oria]

A similar, but sort of different answer my spouse received today (almost 10 months since application):

Good Morning,

Thank you for your email.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to complete every case within our service standard, particularly if an applicant has a complex immigration history or if further enquiries need to be made.

Published guidance has now been clarified to explain the factors that may contribute to a case being classed as complex.

Examples of relevant factors include:

Criminality,
Previous refusal of asylum,
Previous grant of a period of Leave to remain exceptionally outside the Immigration Rules,
Periods of overstaying between previous applications,
Evidence of illegal working or illegal entry,
European Nationals who do not provide evidence of Permanent Residence in UK,
Failure to comply with immigration reporting restrictions, and
Financial irregularities.

This is of course not an exhaustive list, simply an indication of some of the factors which would trigger a higher level of scrutiny, the relevant guidance can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/chap ... structions. Please note that although investigation of these factors may be delaying your application – this does not automatically mean that your application will be refused – but simply that more investigation is required. You will receive your decision when a complete consideration has been made.

One of the requirements for naturalisation, set out in the British Nationality Act 1981, concerns good character. The British Nationality Act 1981 contains no definition of "good character". The Secretary of State's approach to determining whether or not, for this purpose, an applicant is of good character is set out in guidance which has been published at on our website at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... idance.pdf

A broad view is taken when judging whether this requirement is satisfied. We take into consideration, amongst other things, the activities past and present of an individual, and the openness and honesty of a prospective citizen when assessing whether this requirement has been satisfied. Applicants are expected to have shown respect for the rights and freedoms of the UK, observed its laws and fulfilled their duties and obligations as a resident of the UK.

It may be helpful to know that our enquiries are not limited to criminal records or to a persons activities within the UK. Nor is there a limit set out in nationality law on the time taken to carry out those enquiries.

As part of the application process, we routinely conduct enquiries with other government departments and external agencies. The extent and length of time taken to complete these varies according to the particular circumstance of each application.

Once all necessary enquiries are concluded we will then be in a position to consider the applications. Please be advised that it is not possible to provide a timescale for a decision to be issued, as this will depend on the findings of any of the previously mentioned enquiries and a full consideration of each case. Please also note that Coronavirus (COVID 19) is further delaying decisions at this time.

We will write to you once a decision has been reached, or if we require any further information.

Kind regards,
UKVI

I got the same reply today. I applied on July 15, 2019. more than 10.5 months. From following the site, I realise this response is not common. Do you think there could be specific reason. I dont have any issues in my record. Is there any undate on your case? thanks in advance.

Hi
What date did you email them exactly? I think it’s a procedural issue not necessarily meaning that anyone of us are singled out for any reason but we are certainly experiencing a delay because some refugee applicants whole applied in August received email approvals.

I can only hope that they will conclude those checks sooner. I don’t not see anything that should cause any delay in my case in particular that is why I am a bit disappointed. I will ask for another update once my application has hit 11 months. I hope that it will have sorted by then.

[Oria]

One thing that I’ve noticed, most of the pending cases are from July 2019.

I know a refugee family of 2 adults and 5 children who applied on 2nd July are still waiting for their decisions. They emailed on exactly 10th month and received similar email as all of us on this group. They have not travelled at all except for the head of the family who made a single trip to Europe in 5 years.

I know 2 other people as well from distant friends circle who also applied in July 2019 & are still waiting for their decisions.

It could be the July pack of cases lost/stuck somewhere in the applications pipeline.

[Present1]

It doesn’t matter which month you applied.
Its very clear from the processing times of past applicants that Naturalisation applications of Refugees takes longer than other category applicants. Rarely a refugee gets his decision within the 6 months time period.
The question is are their valid reasons for the delay or they are simply less important?

[secret.simon]

The question is are their valid reasons for the delay or they are simply less important?

Nothing happens in a vacuum. There are always reasons for why some things happen. In this thread itself, I have given at least two reasons on how a refugee's naturalisation application varies from other applications for naturalisation and why it can attract further scrutiny.

a) Generally refugees will almost certainly been on multiple immigration routes in the UK. I suspect that people who have been in the UK on a single immigration route that can be easily verified (such as Tier 2 G or spousal) get their approvals earlier, simply because the checks are straightforward and with cross-references to a small number of databases.

Even people who got their ILR after long residence in the UK on multiple different visas likely face delays during their naturalisation applications (note that I am not stating that as a fact, merely as my suspicion. Feel free to analyse all the timeline threads on these forums, classifying delays by types of route to ILR, etc.)

b) Citizenship is much harder to undo/nullify than ILR. And some refugees have been creative with their recollections, their past being more imagination and fiction than fact and history. The Home Office has learnt from cases like the one highlighted in this post to subject a citizenship application to much higher scrutiny than ILR, precisely because it is harder to undo. It is unfortunate that some bad apples lead to the whole applecart being discarded (or being subjected to much more scrutiny).

Whether these are valid reasons is a matter of interpretation. But the reasons exist.

[London22]

The question is are their valid reasons for the delay or they are simply less important?

Nothing happens in a vacuum. There are always reasons for why some things happen. In this thread itself, I have given at least two reasons on how a refugee's naturalisation application varies from other applications for naturalisation and why it can attract further scrutiny.

a) Generally refugees will almost certainly been on multiple immigration routes in the UK. I suspect that people who have been in the UK on a single immigration route that can be easily verified (such as Tier 2 G or spousal) get their approvals earlier, simply because the checks are straightforward and with cross-references to a small number of databases.

Even people who got their ILR after long residence in the UK on multiple different visas likely face delays during their naturalisation applications (note that I am not stating that as a fact, merely as my suspicion. Feel free to analyse all the timeline threads on these forums, classifying delays by types of route to ILR, etc.)

b) Citizenship is much harder to undo/nullify than ILR. And some refugees have been creative with their recollections, their past being more imagination and fiction than fact and history. The Home Office has learnt from cases like the one highlighted in this post to subject a citizenship application to much higher scrutiny than ILR, precisely because it is harder to undo. It is unfortunate that some bad apples lead to the whole applecart being discarded (or being subjected to much more scrutiny).

Whether these are valid reasons is a matter of interpretation. But the reasons exist.

Wow.A typical of you secret .simon that you always blame the victims .Everyone knows the lawyers,judges ,analysts,journalists etc that home office isn't working the right direction.If you face hostile environment just for one day you would know what is truth &what is politics.There are no reasons of delaying applications &creating unnecessary hurdles in ways of migrants getting status via legal channels apart from deliberate twists in rules to make the system abusive &unfair.Please have some courage to understand the meanings of DIRTY TORY POLITICS.This explains all.

[ariskar]

...

b) Citizenship is much harder to undo/nullify than ILR. And some refugees have been creative with their recollections, their past being more imagination and fiction than fact and history. The Home Office has learnt from cases like the one highlighted in this post to subject a citizenship application to much higher scrutiny than ILR, precisely because it is harder to undo. It is unfortunate that some bad apples lead to the whole applecart being discarded (or being subjected to much more scrutiny).

Whether these are valid reasons is a matter of interpretation. But the reasons exist.

... even murderers usually have reasons for their crimes.

Dear secret.simon, all refugees go through at least two loops of scrutiny before their citizenship/naturalisation application. Their initial status grant (which always includes 1 or usually more interview, sometimes even followed by judicial review/appeal process) and their ILR settlement application which since 2017 includes more stringent "safe return" reviews. Both of these processes take longer than most other immigration visa application processes.

If all these refugees applying to naturalise have been through so much scrutiny, what is the point of procedurally segregating them having unfavourable treatment again compared to other route candidates?

If we would like to presume that UK rule of law is prevalent and it is a tolerant and fair society, the presumption of innocence in lieu of proof of the contrary should apply to all of us, citizens and residents with similar clean records. The lack of this aspect of rule of law is what more often than not force the concerned people to seek asylum in other countries.

It is morally (and most likely legally) indefensible that a democracy can use something like your bad apple theory to collectively punish through presumption of guilt an entire group of people, particularly given the fact that they are amongst the most vulnerable groups in our society. These are not the British and democratic values our society should aspire to. As a British Citizen, I feel ashamed and feel the need to apologize for all those affected and the governments we have elected in the past decade. Maybe a policy driven realisation that our country and society may not be worth becoming part of, at least for those who have a choice.

[Sous49]

...

b) Citizenship is much harder to undo/nullify than ILR. And some refugees have been creative with their recollections, their past being more imagination and fiction than fact and history. The Home Office has learnt from cases like the one highlighted in this post to subject a citizenship application to much higher scrutiny than ILR, precisely because it is harder to undo. It is unfortunate that some bad apples lead to the whole applecart being discarded (or being subjected to much more scrutiny).

Whether these are valid reasons is a matter of interpretation. But the reasons exist.

... even murderers usually have reasons for their crimes.

Dear secret.simon, all refugees go through at least two loops of scrutiny before their citizenship/naturalisation application. Their initial status grant (which always includes 1 or usually more interview, sometimes even followed by judicial review/appeal process) and their ILR settlement application which since 2017 includes more stringent "safe return" reviews. Both of these processes take longer than most other immigration visa application processes.

If all these refugees applying to naturalise have been through so much scrutiny, what is the point of procedurally segregating them having unfavourable treatment again compared to other route candidates?

If we would like to presume that UK rule of law is prevalent and it is a tolerant and fair society, the presumption of innocence in lieu of proof of the contrary should apply to all of us, citizens and residents with similar clean records. The lack of this aspect of rule of law is what more often than not force the concerned people to seek asylum in other countries.

It is morally (and most likely legally) indefensible that a democracy can use something like your bad apple theory to collectively punish through presumption of guilt an entire group of people, particularly given the fact that they are amongst the most vulnerable groups in our society. These are not the British and democratic values our society should aspire to. As a British Citizen, I feel ashamed and feel the need to apologize for all those affected and the governments we have elected in the past decade. Maybe a policy driven realisation that our country and society may not be worth becoming part of, at least for those who have a choice.

Thank you ariskar. Thank you so much.
The issue is that refugees are so keen belong to their new country after they lost their home of origin.so they have no choice .they don't even have a proper passport.

[Zerubbabel]

Call me heartless but this kind of posts and the associated claims make me smile.

Many of us here, including myself, are non-EEA and we know how it works elsewhere in the world. Where I came from, there are refugees living there for 3 or 4 generations and none of them, including their descendants born there, got the citizenship. They don't get residences but just A4 documents they can show the police in case they are controlled in the street but if they leave the country, they won't be allowed back.

I worked as a volunteer for Amnesty International and similar organisations for a while. One of my last assignments was to work on a case of 4000 people who came to disappear during a civil war in Africa. With some of the parents who could make it to Geneva, we organised a protest and read their names on loudspeakers near the broken chair in front of the UN building.

So if the UK takes 15 months to process your citizenship application, I don't see a strong human right case that can trigger the interest of international organisations.

As you may already know, the asylum system is abused and became a classic immigration route for many people who don't qualify under other venues. I don't like that because I have seen a lot of people under genuine threat due to their ethnicity or religion being unable to get asylum as the system is clogged with immigration candidates with bogus stories. I for one believe that authorities must make and end to that abuse otherwise it will destroy the asylum system. That system is not there to allow some to live in fancy countries, or get visa-free travel to interesting countries, or a joker card for immigration. It's there to save lives of people who can genuinely end up in mass graves of no fault of their own. This is not yet another immigration route.

When there was a war / genocide in Rwanda (1994), people from all Africa claimed asylum by telling authorities they came from Rwanda. Many of these, when they didn't get a response by 1998, ran to the asylum offices changing their stories and claiming they actually came from Eritrea as another war was starting there.

This takes us back to your citizenship application. When someone comes from an organised country such as Germany, Koweit or Japan, it's easier to ascertain the identity of the applicant to the level required for citizenship. When people come from places that are not so organised, there is a risk for the Home Office / Secretary of State. The risk is to sign a naturalisation certificate for someone then realising years later that the person participated in genocide or similar activities then claimed asylum under forged or stolen identity. That would be a major embarrassment for the UK.

As you are a refugee, I dare to hope that the UK saved your life in first place. So if you have any human right claim, I recommend you pursue these efforts against the country you came from.

[London22]

I can only laugh at some members who comment on delays of refugees nationality applications by saying that refugees from organised countries have straightforward applications with no ID issues hence get quicker decisions while people from unorganised countries with ID issues will have delays in nationality applications as it is hard for home office as refugees might have been committing genocides .Where was the home office when deciding asylum of such refugees and where was that fear of ID ??The home office is 10 times smarter than what some people think.If home office does have a little doubt on someone's character they don't simply grant asylum.Thousands have been failed by the system .Even genuine asylum seekers are victims of home office's nightmare bureaucracy.
And if some of the refugees become successful they are kept on hold when applying for naturalization without any reasons apart from political.Most refugees have already been put on 10 years route to nationality which is the most hardest &longest waiting time in the world.What else some people want to be tightened on refugees???
Most refugees are from war torn countries & many hosting countries are directly involved in tearing the lives of refugees into pieces ,those morally corrupt countries are the real culprits not the refugees.
Never mix up dirty politics with humanity .If you stand for humanity then stand for it and be dare to stand against those immoral politically terrorists and corrupt countries who actually create miseries for these refugees by playing dirty politics .Why some war monger countries have no shame &humanity in fact ?? I can't stand for any good these war criminals do when their crimes do much harm to refugees & the world .

[Present1]

As you are a refugee, I dare to hope that the UK saved your life in first place. So if you have any human right claim, I recommend you pursue these efforts against the country you came from.

Very clear message to Refugees from someone who worked for the welfare of Refugees.

(You all lied about persecution or fear of persecution, UK didn't save you from persecution. Go back to the people who are persecuting you and claim your rights from them. You shouldn't claim rights or question any thing here)

Thanks God Home Office only delays Applications and doesn't reply with a message like this when you ask
for the progress of your application.