Applying for leave on Humanitarian Grounds

[sarahjane]

Hi
I hope someone out there can help! I am attending an interview for Asylum in Liverpool on Monday the 17th of August. I will try to summarise the facts of my case, so here we go!
I came to the UK and was granted a visa as a dependant on my former partners visa. We had a son, who is a British citizen. My former partner is an EU National , supports my son financially and visits him regularly.

The relationship ended. In February 2008 I applied for leave to remain on the grounds that I had established a private and family life.(Article 8 (1) ECHR.
I also submitted that it would constitute a breach of Article 3 of the ECHR to return me to my country of origin. (Zimbabwe)

My family ie my mother, sisters and brother all have indefinate leave to remain in the UK (acquired through my mum as she was married to an English man).

In July 2009 the UK border agency acknowledged losing my file. I resubmitted my documents and they have asked me to attend an interview at an Asylum screening unit as my claim included "a claim for Asylum as a refugee, humanitarian Protection or a human rights claim".
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

Sarahjane

[Rozen]

Hi
I hope someone out there can help! I am attending an interview for Asylum in Liverpool on Monday the 17th of August. I will try to summarise the facts of my case, so here we go!
I came to the UK and was granted a visa as a dependant on my former partners visa. We had a son, who is a British citizen. My former partner is an EU National , supports my son financially and visits him regularly.

The relationship ended. In February 2008 I applied for leave to remain on the grounds that I had established a private and family life.(Article 8 (1) ECHR.
I also submitted that it would constitute a breach of Article 3 of the ECHR to return me to my country of origin. (Zimbabwe)

My family ie my mother, sisters and brother all have indefinate leave to remain in the UK (acquired through my mum as she was married to an English man).

In July 2009 the UK border agency acknowledged losing my file. I resubmitted my documents and they have asked me to attend an interview at an Asylum screening unit as my claim included "a claim for Asylum as a refugee, humanitarian Protection or a human rights claim".
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

Sarahjane

So what, exactly, is your worry?

[sarahjane]

My worry is that it will be a general interview for Asylum rather than the specific merits of my case.

[Rozen]

My worry is that it will be a general interview for Asylum rather than the specific merits of my case.

I would have thought that the interview would be one in which you would be given an opportunity to put your points across, referencing the evidence that you have submitted, as to why you should be granted LTR.

[Mr Rusty]

I think you'll find that this initial interview is what they call a "Screening Interview", where they run through the details of who you are, your family details and the circumstances in which you came to the UK, and there won't be any detailed questioning about your reasons for seeking "asylum" or making a Human Rights claim.

It's rather tiresome for you to have to do this when you've already had a well-documented history which they have lost, but it shouldn't cause you any problems, or take much more than half an hour. Thereafter you will probably be asked to report somewhere, but to further your claim you will probably be given a form for self-completion as best you can, but you can include a full statement of your reasons at that stage. If they then want to interview you further, it should be specific to the info you've already supplied. If for some reason they want to give you a full interview rather than the self-completion thing, you can always go armed with a full statement or submit it in advance of that interview.

It's a fairly well-defined process for dealing with new asylum or other human rights claims, but the initial interview won't be particularly difficult for you.

[sarahjane]

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I had started to panic as I had absolutely no idea of what to expect. Luckily I had made copies of all the documents they lost, so I will take these along with me. I feel so much better now!

sarahjane