Asylum Seekers and Refugees

Asylum seekers

Asylum seekers are people who arrive in the UK from overseas having left their own country but who have not yet been given the right to stay.

The Home Office provides support and accommodation to asylum seekers through the National Asylum Support Service (NASS). A company called Serco provide asylum accommodation in the North West on behalf of the Home Office. They are regularly looking for homes to rent so they can house people seeking sanctuary. If you have a property you would like to offer Serco, you can find more information on the Serco website (external link)

Asylum seekers are not allowed to work, claim benefits or apply for housing with the Council.

Refugees

Refugees are people who have been granted asylum and have the right to stay in the UK. This means they have the right to live and work in the UK and can access state benefits including social housing.

Lancashire County Council are the lead authority on resettlement and they work with local Council's to settle refugees into their area, get children into school, apply for financial support, access healthcare, learn English and integrate into their new communities.

Since 2017, the Council has worked with Lancashire County Council to welcome refugees from Syria as part of the Syrian Resettlement Programme and will continue to welcome resettled refugees including those from Afghanistan wherever possible.

How can you help?

If you would like to offer help to local refugee families, you can register the type of help you can provide on the Gov.uk website (external link) Offers of help can be offering housing or donating items such as clothes.