COVID-19 Information for refugees and asylum seekers
This global pandemic poses challenges for everyone, particularly those who are most vulnerable in our society, including refugees and asylum seekers. In order to bring advice together into one place, we will share published information on this page from third party websites.
Friends Without Borders are not responsible or liable for the completeness, reliability or accuracy of the information provided. Any action you take upon the information linked to from this page is at your own risk and we will not be liable for any losses or damages in connection with use of the information linked to here.
If you have any corrections, or further information to share, please contact us.
With thanks to JPIT, Portsmouth HIVE, ASAP, ILPA, Asylum Matters
Friends Without Borders are not responsible or liable for the completeness, reliability or accuracy of the information provided. Any action you take upon the information linked to from this page is at your own risk and we will not be liable for any losses or damages in connection with use of the information linked to here.
If you have any corrections, or further information to share, please contact us.
With thanks to JPIT, Portsmouth HIVE, ASAP, ILPA, Asylum Matters
Portsmouth COVID-19 Helpline
If you are an individual in need of help please call the helpline: 023 9261 6709
HIVE Portsmouth are coordinating a community response:
HIVE Portsmouth are coordinating a community response:
- Working with the most vulnerable, who have no support in place
- Helping with shopping or food deliveries
- Providing regular outbound calls/welfare checks
- Providing prescription drop off support where needed
- Helping with other issues such as dog walking
Translations of NHS Guidance
Doctors of the World have translated the latest government guidance into 34 languages, to support those for whom English is not their first language.
The complete list of languages as at 28/03/2020: English, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Bulgarian, Czech, Dari, Farsi, French, Gujarati, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Hungarian, Kurdish Sorani, Lithuanian, Malayalam, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Romanian, Sindhi, Slovak, Spanish, Somali, Tigrinya, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese.
The Government has produced translated COVID-19 guidance available in Arabic, Bengali, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Polish, Portuguese, Urdu and Welsh (28/03/2020).
The complete list of languages as at 28/03/2020: English, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Bulgarian, Czech, Dari, Farsi, French, Gujarati, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Hungarian, Kurdish Sorani, Lithuanian, Malayalam, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Romanian, Sindhi, Slovak, Spanish, Somali, Tigrinya, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese.
The Government has produced translated COVID-19 guidance available in Arabic, Bengali, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Polish, Portuguese, Urdu and Welsh (28/03/2020).
NHS Registration of the Extremely Vulnerable
The Home Office has circulated the following note advising how people who have a medical condition that makes them extremely vulnerable can register this with the NHS.
“You will have seen recent media coverage of the NHS’ plans to write to 1:5m people currently identified as vulnerable to the worst effects of the COVID-19 virus. https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable
The link allows for extremely vulnerable people to be registered with the NHS. As the link details, asylum seekers can register themselves or others can register on their behalf. This includes the asylum seeking population if they are in scope of the categories as below... :
· People with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
· People having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
· People having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
· People who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD
4. People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell)
5. People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection
6. People who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired
This provision in no way reduces the contractual obligations of providers...”
“You will have seen recent media coverage of the NHS’ plans to write to 1:5m people currently identified as vulnerable to the worst effects of the COVID-19 virus. https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable
The link allows for extremely vulnerable people to be registered with the NHS. As the link details, asylum seekers can register themselves or others can register on their behalf. This includes the asylum seeking population if they are in scope of the categories as below... :
- Solid organ transplant recipients
- People with specific cancer
· People with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
· People having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
· People having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
· People who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD
4. People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell)
5. People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection
6. People who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired
This provision in no way reduces the contractual obligations of providers...”
Changes to the asylum and immigration process due to COVID-19
Because of the Coronavirus public health crisis, there have been some temporary changes to the asylum and immigration process.
Right to Remain have produced some guidance (updated 27/07/2020) on changes to the asylum and immigration process due to COVID-19.
Asylum Seekers Appeals Project (ASAP) have produced a new factsheet setting out changes in eligibility for asylum support as a result of COVID-19, in particular eligibility for Section 4 for people who do not have fresh claims.
The Asylum Support Tribunal (AST) is working remotely. Appeals are now either determined on the papers or conducted by telephone. The Asylum Support Appeals Project (ASAP) can represent clients in both types of appeals. The AST have introduced a new notice of appeal form to reflect these changes. Further information on the process can be found on the Immigration Law Practitioner Association's (ILPA) website.
The Home Office have confirmed that they will be resuming Assisted Voluntary Returns (AVR) from 13th July 2020. The AVR service had previously been put on hold due to Covid-19.
If you have a question about how COVID-19 might affect your particular situation, you can try contacting the Home Office Coronavirus helpline (although we expect it will be very busy).
Telephone: 0800 678 1767 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). Calls are free of charge.
Email: CIH@homeoffice.gov.uk
The Refugee Council is tracking changes to Home Office Asylum and Resettlement Policy and Practice here.
Free Movement is providing daily updates on the wider immigration system here.
Right to Remain have produced some guidance (updated 27/07/2020) on changes to the asylum and immigration process due to COVID-19.
Asylum Seekers Appeals Project (ASAP) have produced a new factsheet setting out changes in eligibility for asylum support as a result of COVID-19, in particular eligibility for Section 4 for people who do not have fresh claims.
The Asylum Support Tribunal (AST) is working remotely. Appeals are now either determined on the papers or conducted by telephone. The Asylum Support Appeals Project (ASAP) can represent clients in both types of appeals. The AST have introduced a new notice of appeal form to reflect these changes. Further information on the process can be found on the Immigration Law Practitioner Association's (ILPA) website.
The Home Office have confirmed that they will be resuming Assisted Voluntary Returns (AVR) from 13th July 2020. The AVR service had previously been put on hold due to Covid-19.
If you have a question about how COVID-19 might affect your particular situation, you can try contacting the Home Office Coronavirus helpline (although we expect it will be very busy).
Telephone: 0800 678 1767 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). Calls are free of charge.
Email: CIH@homeoffice.gov.uk
The Refugee Council is tracking changes to Home Office Asylum and Resettlement Policy and Practice here.
Free Movement is providing daily updates on the wider immigration system here.
Available Services
Many local services for refugees and asylum seekers have temporarily closed due to COVID-19. You can find a list of services through the Refugee Council, to contact your local groups for information.
Migrant Information Service, provided by @IOM_UK provides extra support to migrants during the Covid-19 crisis with a multilingual website and free phone line with information on 5 topics: health, work, benefits, visas and immigration, housing and homelessness. covid19uk.iom.int
If you are a family with school children, and have no recourse to public funds, you may be able to access food vouchers over the summer holidays. You will need to apply through your school. https://www.project17.org.uk/resources/guide-to-accessing-support/free-school-meals-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/
Migrant Information Service, provided by @IOM_UK provides extra support to migrants during the Covid-19 crisis with a multilingual website and free phone line with information on 5 topics: health, work, benefits, visas and immigration, housing and homelessness. covid19uk.iom.int
If you are a family with school children, and have no recourse to public funds, you may be able to access food vouchers over the summer holidays. You will need to apply through your school. https://www.project17.org.uk/resources/guide-to-accessing-support/free-school-meals-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/
Free ESOL Resources
Free online ESOL resources have been helpfully collated in a post at Leeds Migration Partnership blog for students of a range of levels who are keen to continue their studies (where possible).
Translated Guides to Zoom
The Jewish Council for Racial Equality have produced these Translated Guides to Zoom which include English, Arabic, French, Polish, Somali, Tigrinya and Kurdish.
Useful COVID-19 Resources
In addition to the information linked to above, other organisations have produced useful resources to help keep track of developments:
- Portsmouth City of Sanctuary are compiling information relating to areas that Portsmouth City of Sanctuary works in that have been affected by COVID-19, this includes information about local foodbanks, and a link to a coping calendar.
- The West Midlands Strategic Partnership has compiled multilingual resources, official communications, official guidance and migration sector resources here. The South East Strategic Partnership for Migration has also compiled an extensive list of translated resources available on Covid-19 here
- Migration Yorkshire has created the Migrant Information Hub, including simple COVID-19 guidance in multiple languages.
- Government guidance about how to get help if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse is now available in Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, French, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Mandarin, Polish, Romanian, Spanish, Punjabi, Somali, Tamil and Urdu. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/domestic-abuse-get-help-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak-translations
