If you are thinking of, or have already applied for asylum because you are trans, we can advise you by phone or in person on all aspects of the asylum process, confidentially and free of charge. We give guidance on how to apply for asylum, how to prepare for your interviews with the Home Office and how to gather your evidence for your application. We can also advise you if your application has been refused by the Home Office and you are appealing in the Immigration Tribunals or trying to make a fresh application based on new evidence.

If you need our assistance, please contact us and we will get back to you as soon as we can. If you are unable to call or email us, you may wish to attend one of our monthly asylum meetings in London or drop-in sessions in Birmingham (please note these are currently on hold due to Covid-19).

We run legal workshops for women and trans people applying for asylum. These workshops are free to attend without prior booking and focus on specific aspects of the application, including how to prepare your statements and evidence. Sign up to our newsletter to receive updates on the date of our next Women and Trans Legal Workshop (please note these are currently on hold due to Covid-19).

We run an extensive range of support services for our service users during the asylum process, with the specific aim to ensure those seeking asylum have access to emotional support, safe housing and do not become socially isolated.

We offer one-to-one support sessions, which can include emotional support, practical support to access trans-inclusive and trans-specific healthcare, support with legal name changes and gender recognition, support to access records and documents reflecting your name and gender, and support to access safe trans-specific housing and legal representation. We can also support you to access trans-inclusive and trans-specific community and social groups.

We run women’s, men’s and trans support groups. In our group sessions we offer emotional support throughout the asylum process, as well as practical support with things like managing anxiety and stress, sleep hygiene, building resilience, and understanding British LGBTIQ+ terminology. You are welcome to access whichever group is most useful to you, or to receive this support on a one-to-one basis. If you would like to access support, please contact us and one of the support service team will be in touch.

If you face barriers to attending our meetings or accessing our services, please tell us so we can try to support you to overcome them. We can meet you in reception before the monthly asylum meeting, provide support in a private meeting room, and in some cases we can help with travel costs. There are gender-neutral bathrooms on site.

Please also see our Other organisations that can help page for information on other services that may be able to help you.