asylum seeker wants to visit country of origin

[jupatten]

:?:I am an asylum seeker from algeria. I have been granted indefinate leave to remain in the U.K. I have been here 16 years. I have passed the life in the U.K test, but cannot get naturalisation to have a british passport for 7 years. I want to visit my country of origin to see my family. Algeria is still on a state of alert. Does anyone know how i could do this?

[Greenie]

I'm not clear what you are asking?

Do you want to know if travelling to Algeria wll affect your immigration status in the UK or do you want advice on how to travel safely to Algeria?

Were you granted asylum or do you just have ILR?

[jupatten]

I'm posting question for a friend. I believe he has been granted asylum and has ILR in the u.k. Would like advice on how he can travel safely to Algeria and back to U.k as cannont apply for British passport (Naturalisation) for another 7 years. He has an expired Algerian passport, last stamped 2008 - 2009, but didn't travel to Algeria.

[fhumbert]

why does he not renew his Algerian passport ?

This will allow him to travel back to Algeria. To come back to the UK, he would have to keep his old passport in which, presumably, the ILR stamp is to be found.

Why can't he apply for naturalisation as BC for another 7 years. If he has had ILR for more than 12 months, I would have thought he can apply now.

[B_M]

He should be able to apply for a travel permit at the Home Office, which he can use instead of a passport. Don't worry about him being an refugee, in my experience the Home Office doesn't seem to have a problem with giving travel documents for countries the applicant has asylum from.

[Greenie]

Well I think you need to be clear what status your friend has exactly if you want anyone to advise on this case with any accuracy.

If he has ILR AND he has been granted asylum (i.e.. he has refugee status) then he would have got this before 2005 as after this date they gave limited leave to remain to refugees, not ILR.

If your friend has refugee status then he cannot travel to his country of origin. If he does then his refugee status may be subject to cessation as UKBA may deem that he has availed himself of the protection of his country of origin. If he has refugee status he can apply for a Refugee Convention Travel document but this will explicitly state that it is not valid for travel to Algeria.


If your friend has ILR but not refugee status (if for example he got ILR under the legacy programe or due to long residence or under some other category) then he can travel to Algeria but he will need an Algerian passport, unless he can show he has been unreasonably refused an Algerian passport. If he can show his he can apply for a Certificate of Travel however this should not usually be used for travel to the country from which the person claim asylum unless there are exceptional circumstances