Asylum Seekers - 3 Absences and you’re out

NASS Outreach Teams

Agencies in Glasgow have raised their concerns about the impact that the activities of the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) outreach team are having on asylum seekers in the city. The Scottish Refugee Council (SRC) has expressed their concern and is seeking to clarify the remit of the NASS outreach team, their processes and contact visits and the appeals process in response to suspension of NASS support

The NASS Outreach team has been operational in Glasgow since March 2002. The team currently operate from IND offices in Govan, and are managed operationally by Elizabeth Welsh. The NASS regional manager does not have responsibility for managing the outreach team.

Outreach remit

There is little information available on the remit of the NASS outreach teams. There is as yet no written policy on the activities of the outreach team. SRC have been informed that a "contact management operational guidance document" will be prepared in time for the proposed regionalisation of NASS.

The SRC have raised this issue with NASS on numerous occasions both as a national agency and also as part of a UK multi-refugee agency partnership. The issue of the team’s remit has also been raised at the Executive level of the Scottish Asylum Seekers Consortium, which has formally written to NASS to invite them to Glasgow to clarify the situation.

The senior manager of the NASS outreach teams has been invited to attend the Scottish Refugee Integration Forum. SRC have also invited the Manager of the outreach team to attend the next West of Scotland Refugee Forum.

Operational Process

NASS have informed SRC that the process for outreach visits takes place in three stages:

1st visit - if a property is unoccupied at time of visit a letter in English is left informing the occupant that the NASS outreach team will return in 8 days.

2nd visit - if the occupant is still absent at the point of second visit then the team will leave a letter informing them of their intention to return in 72 hours

3rd visit - the team return in 72 hours accompanied by the Housing Provider with the intention of gaining access to the property. If the occupant is absent NASS support will be terminated.

Termination of NASS support

NASS support may be terminated on the basis that the asylum seeker is deemed to be absent from their dispersal address for more than 7 days.

Alternately the "Performance, Monitoring and Investigations team" in Croydon may issue a letter terminating NASS support on the basis that an assessment has been made that an asylum seeker is no longer destitute. During NASS outreach team visits asylum seekers may be asked if they are working, they will be asked to sign a declaration. This is done via telephone translation.

Under the Asylum Support Regulation 2000 No 704, Notice of Appeal to the Asylum Support Adjudicator must be received by the asylum seeker within 2 days of the supported person receiving the notice of discontinuation.

The SRC are now dealing with clients experiencing problems as a result of the activities of the NASS outreach team on a weekly basis. Clients are referred to solicitors who may wish to challenge the legality of some of the processes being undertaken.

SRC are concerned at the way in which asylum seekers are notified of NASS actions i.e. un-translated technical letters, unofficial hand written scraps of paper. SRC are concerned at the absurdly impracticable time limit for appeal. SRC seek clarity on what objective criteria are being used to make assessment of assets, and the assumption that such assets are always gained through employment. There is no apparent attempt to establish whether these items are acquired through donations.

· SRC would also query under what powers NASS gain entry into peoples homes.

Source: Scottish Refugee Council