Initial Steps applying for asylum
When you enter the UK, you can claim asylum by telling a UK Border Force member that you wish to do so (See the grounds for Asylum). If you are picked up at another time, you will either be interviewed within five days or have your screening interview the following day. If you are already in the UK and wish to apply for asylum you will need to make an appointment at the screening unit at the Lunar House in Croydon. If you are an asylum seeker who is detained, then your screening interview will most likely be held in the detention centre. Many people who claim asylum are released after their initial screening interview, while others may continue to be detained.