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ANNUAL REPORT 2013

Asylum Aid is an independent, national charity working to secure protection for people seeking refuge in the UK from persecution and human rights abuses abroad

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Asylum Aid Advice Line: 020 7354 9264

Our advice line offers free one-off legal advice to asylum seekers, refugees, and individuals or organisations who work to support them.

The advice line current operating hours are shown on our website at www.asylumaid.org.uk

Front cover photograph © MJTH

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Message from the Chief Executive

I joined Asylum Aid as Chief Executive in 2013. Like so many years before, this was twelve months which saw people around the world caught up in refugee crises.

Syrians have been forced to flee their homes. The persecution of children in Afghanistan continues. Sexual violence against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become tragically routine.

When someone flees violence, rape and torture overseas, and ends up in the UK, they need patient, expert help. I am proud that Asylum Aid has provided that help for nearly 25 years.

In 2013 we worked with hundreds of men, women and families who would not be safe in their home countries. We took their cases to the Home Office and to the appeal courts – and in overwhelming numbers we won.

We advised thousands more people through our outreach sessions, working with the British Red Cross to reach the most vulnerable asylum seekers of all. This report tells some of their stories.

Asylum Aid also continued its targeted campaigning work, built on policy expertise and innovative research. 2013 saw new immigration rules introduced to help the stateless, a result of years of hard work. And the government has promised more resources than ever before to women seeking asylum, an achievement of our #missedout campaign.

Asylum Aid proved its worth and value in 2013 – and with your support and generosity we will doso for many years to come.

Wayne MyslikChief Executive

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Rafeeq’s story

Rafeeq grew up in a small village in Darfur.

Rafeeq was still a small boy when Janjaweed militia raided his village in the dead of night in 2004. He woke up to explosions, gunshots and screaming.

To this day, Rafeeq doesn’t know how many people were killed. He doesn’t

know what happened to his family. He just ran for his life, joining his neighbours as they too fled their homes.

This was the beginning of a long and terrifying journey. Rafeeq was forced out of every place he tried to call home.

When he was in Ghana, he worked with other boys selling water at traffic lights. When they didn’t sell enough, they were beaten. He was taken to Libya – but young men there were targeted after the revolution, and he was forced to flee to Europe.

Rafeeq arrived in the UK on his own, frightened and without friends, and asked for help. Asylum Aid worked with him to explain what had happened to his family, and the sudden violence which had forced him from his home.

The conflict in Darfur has claimed more than 300,000 lives in the last ten years. Rafeeq escaped with his life, just.

With help from Asylum Aid’s lawyers, he was recognised as a refugee in 2013, and is living and studying safely in the UK.

© Plume Photography

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We were successful in 86% of our cases

Asylum Aid in 2013

helping people who have been raped, trafficked and tortured

rebuilding the lives of people from the most dangerous countries in the world

Iraq

Pakistan

Nigeria

Zimbabwe

Eritrea

Congo

Iran

Albania

Afghanistan

Uganda

Somalia

of whom

We fight hundreds of cases each year, at the Home Office and in the courts

We also helped more than 700 people on our advice line

and another 100 through our outreach work

38% were women and girls

62% were men and boys

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More government resourcesfor women asylum seekers than ever before

More than half of women who seek asylum in the UK each year have been raped. Many more will have experienced domestic violence. Still more will have been threatened and abused.

Yet until 2013, government commitments to help vulnerable women almost entirely ignored asylum seekers. The government has now promised much more – but only after Asylum Aid led hundreds of charities to campaign for change.

Our Missed Out campaign brought together nearly 1,000 individuals, 350 organisations and over 800 MPs. We lobbied the Home Secretary, made our case in the media, and worked with officials to win the commitments which women asylum seekers so badly need.

Victims of sexual violence who seek asylum will now be referred for specialist support. Better, clearer information will be available to women throughout the process, and there will be improved training for officials making asylum decisions. The information used for these decisions will include more details on the specific risks facing women in their home countries.

For the first time, government help for stateless people

In 2011, Asylum Aid worked with the UN Refugee Agency to produce comprehensive research into the plight of stateless people in the UK, many of whom were abandoned destitute and vulnerable on our streets.

Our key recommendation was for new immigration procedures to help the stateless. These were introduced by the government in 2013.

The situation for stateless people is desperate. Most have fallen into a legal limbo for which the government had no answer. Some have been stuck in immigration detention with no hope of return to any country. Most had been separated from their families for years; nearly all are vulnerable to exploitation.

We worked with Home Office officials for months, first to persuade them of the need to act and then to advise on the design of the procedure so that it will benefit the people who need it. The new immigration rules were introduced in April 2013. We are now training others in how to make the most of them, and watching carefully to see how they have begun to work in practice.

As a result of Asylum Aid’s work...

Chris Nash leading statelessness advocacy

Debora Singer addresses the Women’s Committee of the European Parliament

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pieces of original research in the last 12 months

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times called to parliament as expert witnesses this year

350

charities lined up behind our call for refugee rights

Asylum Aid in 2013

More resources for women seeking asylum than ever

Greater influence with ministers, officials and policy-makers

New government policies to help and protect stateless people

Legal aid safeguard for people fleeing for their lives

Planning the future with the Scottish Refugee Council

Talks with student groups in York

Running statelessnesstraining in Birmingham

Working with the Demos think thank on refugees and destitution

Speaking on asylum rights at the House of Commons

Addressing the Joint Committee on Human Rights on legal aid cuts

Helping grassroot refugee groups campaign in Leeds

Chairing seminar with the Refugee Law initiative

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Thomas’ story

Thomas was hounded out of Uganda for being gay. Armed with rocks and chanting for him to be killed, a mob targeted him on his own street. His family disowned him. Terrified for that he would be killed, Thomas fled to the UK, where he was brutalised further.

But Asylum Aid saved his life.

Growing up in Uganda, Thomas’s friends gossiped about him for years. But this wasn’t harmless fun. Uganda has some of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world. Thomas went to a school where students were encouraged to inform on anyone they thought was gay.

At university, Thomas started a relationship in secret. But it didn’t stay secret for long. Spotted with his lover one night, a large crowd gathered and started to threaten Thomas. They chanted death threats, chased him down the street and attacked him with rocks. He tried to find shelter with his brother, but was turned away. His father refused to have anything to do with him. His landlord locked him out of his home.

Thomas came to the UK to study, but the clamour in Uganda to punish him just grew. The law was getting even tougher, and during 2012 the government planned to introduce the death penalty for gay men. Thomas was terrified.

He was also deeply vulnerable. One night in the UK he was raped. Already full of shame and confusion, and aware that he might be killed if returned to Uganda, Thomas asked for asylum in the UK.

Asylum Aid looked after Thomas’s case. We worked with him for hours to help explain everything that he had been through. We provided the Home Office with expert evidence about what would await him in Uganda. We were with him every step of the way.

Thomas was recognised as a refugee, and has started rebuilding his life in the UK.

© Plume Photography

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We are able to do our work thanks to the support and

generosity of our many members, partners and funders.

The Trustees and staff of Asylum Aid wish to thank all those who

supported the charity with grants and donations in 2013.

Trusts, Foundations and Statutory bodiesBarrow Cadbury TrustBBC Children in NeedBrewster Maude Charitable TrustComic ReliefDiana Princess of Wales Memorial FundEleanor Rathbone Charitable TrustEuropean Refugee FundEvan Cornish FoundationFoundation Open Society InstituteG.M. Morrison Charitable TrustHarford Charitable TrustLankelly Chase FoundationLegal Services CommissionLloyds TSB FoundationLondon Churches Hardship FundLondon CouncilsOak FoundationRalph Clark Charitable Trust Richard Cloudesley CharityThe A B Charitable TrustThe Baring FoundationThe Bryan Guinness Charitable Trust The Joan Strutt Charitable TrustThe Mosse Charitable SettlementThe N&P Hartley Memorial TrustThe Odin Charitable TrustThe Samuel Sebba Charitable TrustThe Scotshill TrustTrust for LondonUnbound PhilanthropyUN Voluntary Fund for the Victims of TortureUNHCR

Thank you also to:All our supporters and members.Danielle Cohen Immigration Law SolicitorsJatu JohnsonMatrix ChambersMission FishOne World GroupPseph Ltd.The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)Twelve Winds ConsultingUNITE ACTS Branch 1/684

Whole team who took part in the London Legal Support Trust sponsored walk 2013 and everyone who donated

Members of the Asylum Aid Legal Support Trust walk team

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Summary of Accounts of the year ended 31st March 2013

2012Total

Funds£

2013Total

Funds£

2013Restricted

Funds£

2013Unrestricted

Funds£

Incoming resourcesVoluntary income

Advice, information and caseworkPolicy and campaignsDonations and grantsMembership and supporters

Activites for generating fundsInterest receivableIncoming resources from charitable activities:

Advice, information and caseworkPolicy and campaignsOther income

Total incoming resources

--

399,67847,827

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269,41212,92617,620

747,465

265,91464,50019,000

-

-

59,437

408,851

265,91464,500

418,67847,827

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328,84912,92617,620

1,156,316

424,085194,011

94,02951,106

2

305,46745,46710,533

1,124,700

Resources expendedCosts of generating fundsCosts of generating voluntary incomeCharitable expenditureAdvice, information and caseworkPolicy and campaignsGovernance

Total resources expended

62,720

288,278113,929

13,150

478,077

12,561

450,725100,68012,561

576,527

75,281

739,003214,609

25,711

1,054,604

89,707

708,376224,535

25,220

1,047,838

Net movement in fundsTotal funds at 1 April

Total funds at 31 March

269,388133,914

403,302

(167,676)167,676

101,712301,590

403,302

76,862224,728

301,590

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2012£

2013£

Fixed assetsTangible assets

Net current assets

Net assets

Represented byUnrestricted fundsGeneral fundsDesignated funds

Restricted funds

2,765

400,537

403,302

400,5372,765

403,302-

403,302

512

301,078

301,590

133,402512

133,914167,676

301,590

Balance SheetAt 31st March 2013 the net assets of the company were £403,302, comprising of 403,302 unrestricted funds (2,765 designated funds and £400,537 general funds).

Trustees StatementThese summarised accounts have been extracted from the full annual financial statements that were approved by Asylum Aid’s Trustees on 11 October 2013. The full annual financial statements have been audited and the auditor’s opinion was unqualified. The full annual report and financial statements have been submitted to the Charity Commission and to Companies House. These summarised accounts may not contain sufficient information to allow for a full understanding of the financial affairs of the Charity. For further information, the full financial statements, the auditors report on those statements and the Trustees’ annual report should be consulted. Copies of these may be obtained from Asylum Aid’s Resources and Administration Manager on 020 7354 9631.

Enver Solomon, Chair, 11 October 2013

Independent Auditor’s StatementWe have examined the summarised accounts of Asylum Aid set out on this page. The summarised accounts are the responsibility of the Trustees. Our responsibility is to report on the consistency of the summarised accounts with the full annual report and financial statements. We also read the other information contained within the annual review and summary financial statements and have considered the implications for our statement should we become aware of any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the summarised accounts.

Basis of OpinionWe have carried out the procedures we considered necessary to ascertain whether the summarised accounts are consistent with the full annual financial statements from which they have been prepared.

OpinionIn our opinion, the summarised accounts are consistent with the full audited Annual Report and Financial Statements of Asylum Aid for the year ended 31 March 2013.

H W Fisher & Company Chartered Accountants14 November 2013

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TrusteesAnna Feuchtwang (Chair)Cate Briddick (Vice Chair) Richard Priestman (Treasurer)Gabriella BettigaMichelle DixonTim FinchSarita GodberVebi KosumiBarbara Marsh Janice NeedhamSile Reynolds

Women’s Project Advisory Committee membersCarolina AlbuerneAdrienne AndersonGabriella BettigaAyse Bircan Cate Briddick Moira DustinRehab JameelEleonore KofmanAmina MemonJo PettittChristel QuertonDiana Trimino

PatronsNeil GerrardProf Guy Goodwin GillJeremy HardyTerry JonesRebecca LenkiewiczMiriam MargoylesJon SnowTerry Waite

London Refugee Women’s Forum support Debora Singer and Natasha Walter at the Home Affairs Committee inquiry into asylum

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Your donations allow us to continue our advice and policy work, helping people find safety from persecution abroad – please go to www.asylumaid.org.uk

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Club Union House 253 – 254 Upper Street

London N1 1RYTel: 0207 354 9631

Fax: 0207 354 5620info@asylumaid.org.ukwww.asylumaid.org.uk

Charity number 328729Company Number 2513874

Annual Report 2013

© Asylum Aid