Refugee application delays.

[Tribulations28]

Hello members,
Some of us refugees who applied months ago still haven’t received an answer to our applications
So would you be kind enough to share your experiences (application date and maybe how you feel about the whole process and what important life events you missed out on). I am planning to get my lawyer involved and maybe see what angle we can bring this matter forward as we refugees should be treated equally to any other applicant. I’m all about my application taking 6 months no doubts about that, but there needs to be a valid reason behind, not just that we are refugees and in that regards should be thrown to the bottom of the pile, even though we all paid the same fee
We are refugees leading law abiding lives not criminals.
So please feel free to share.
Thank you.

[guru1s]

Hello members,
Some of us refugees who applied months ago still haven’t received an answer to our applications
So would you be kind enough to share your experiences (application date and maybe how you feel about the whole process and what important life events you missed out on). I am planning to get my lawyer involved and maybe see what angle we can bring this matter forward as we refugees should be treated equally to any other applicant. I’m all about my application taking 6 months no doubts about that, but there needs to be a valid reason behind, not just that we are refugees and in that regards should be thrown to the bottom of the pile, even though we all paid the same fee
We are refugees leading law abiding lives not criminals.
So please feel free to share.
Thank you.

To be honest HO advises that you have to wait for 6 months, some applications take longer than others, so you just need to wait. There is no logic behind this, I think it simply depends on the case worker who deals with your application and not on your UK legal status.

[Springie]

I see you applied on 18 February. There is no delay to your application so far- these are perfectly normal time frames.

Also consider the 2 bank holidays in May and the long Easter holidays when calculating how long you've waited.

The post from the HO also takes up to 3 weeks to arrive, so your approval might seem late, although it was posted many days before you get it.

All of this is before you get to the fact that many refugees will have confusing and conflicting histories which need to be made sense of.

For the record, I applied on 7 September last year, received my approval on 22 November which was dated 13 November and I also was refugee.

Until you've been waiting for 6 months, there is really no reason to say you're being treated unfairly.

[Tribulations28]

I see you applied on 18 February. There is no delay to your application so far- these are perfectly normal time frames.

Also consider the 2 bank holidays in May and the long Easter holidays when calculating how long you've waited.

The post from the HO also takes up to 3 weeks to arrive, so your approval might seem late, although it was posted many days before you get it.

All of this is before you get to the fact that many refugees will have confusing and conflicting histories which need to be made sense of.

For the record, I applied on 7 September last year, received my approval on 22 November which was dated 13 November and I also was refugee.

Until you've been waiting for 6 months, there is really no reason to say you're being treated unfairly.

Hello and thanks a lot for your reply,
I think my crusade is misunderstood by most and as I already said I’m happy for my application to take as much time as it needs before completion.
However, what I am noticing is refugee applications always take more time than any other.
Obviously, we all have different reasons that made us refugees in this country, therefore we all don’t have “conflicting and confusing histories” but yet, as most people are aware, refugees applications always take a while longer and the reason why is what picks my interest. Let’s suppose for a second that’s actually the case, wouldn’t it be easier to just refuse one’s application or request further information? so far there’s nothing that really, at least officially, gives us a slight insight into why that might be the case.
Your timeline gives me a fresh outlook on the process, but again you applied last year when one could still submit their application with NDRS and Nationality checking service and joint passport applications. That’s not to say it was faster nor easier to apply back then, but Nobody is oblivious of the fact that the process gets tougher as time goes.
I’m interested in all refugees experiences but mostly in those that are still waiting and from there, a conclusion will be drawn on wether there’s a clear pattern to be unveiled and also a refugee applying warrants longer processing time? That’s all.
As I am sure you’ll know some of us have been serving this country wholeheartedly for innumerable years without the possibility to be with our loved ones back where we came from, and every minute that passes by might be the last we hear from them.
Thanks for your time.

[Springie]

This discussion doesn't have much of a point, given the sample data we're operating with. That is to say, this forum is only visited by a very small number of all people applying, refugees included. We do not and cannot know from this forum what the experience is like for most people.

To know this, you'd need to request an FOI from the HO and look at processing times for all Refugees vs all Non-EU citizens vs all EU citizens. If that showed a definite advantage for non-refugee categories, then there might be something to discuss but even then correlation would not imply causation.

The FOI could theoretically include a request for any info on 'extra considerations' for refugees which may increase processing times, but such a request is likely to be denied on security grounds.