This page contains the contact details for our asylum screening unit in Croydon, south of London.

If you want to claim asylum and you are already in the UK, you should make an application at the screening unit. You can book an appointment in advance or attend the walk-in service. If you want to guarantee that you will be seen on a particular day, we strongly recommend that you book an appointment. If you have a long distance to travel, you should book an appointment.

If you have not booked an appointment, you may be asked to return on another day.

We do not refund travelling costs or offer any monetary assistance for travelling to and from the screening unit.

The process of registering an asylum application can take up to 4 hours to complete. It is also possible that you may be detained. If we decide to detain you, we will give you a letter explaining why.

For further information about the process, see the How to claim asylum page.

Booking an appointment

When you phone us to book an appointment, we will collect some information in advance. This enables us to complete some administration before you attend your appointment, so your screening interview at the unit will be shorter. By knowing more about you and your needs in advance, we hope that we can better meet any requirements that you may have.

The phone booking service uses an interpreter. We might need to speak to you for up to 30 minutes, and we suggest that you are somewhere quiet when you phone.

We will ask for your name and your contact phone number, and whether you will need an interpreter to answer some questions. We will then phone you back, give you an appointment, and ask you some simple questions about you and your family. We will pay for the call. You will not be asked why you are claiming asylum.

Before you contact the appointment line we would ask that you considerif you will need accommodation from the date of your appointment or if you will be able to continue living at your present address. If you choose to remain at your present address you can at a later stage apply for accommodation and or financial support.

If you do require accommodation you will be accommodated outside of the London area.

Infectious diseases

During the telephone interview you will be asked to provide details of any medical conditions or special requirements you may have which will help us better meet your needs on the day of your appointment. If you suffer from an infectious disease such as Tuberculoses or Scabies you will need to provide written confirmation from a doctor that you are not infectious; you should bring this with you on the day of your appointment. If you fail to do so, you may be asked to re-book.

Changes to your circumstances

If you experience a change of circumstances between the day you book an appointment and the date of your appointment, please contact the asylum screening unit as a matter of urgency so that we can update our records and change the date of your appointment if necessary.

Notice to legal representatives

If you are phoning on behalf of a client, you should do so in the presence of your client so that they can answer our questions. An interpreter will be made available, so there should not be any communication problems. If it is possible, we will accommodate requests from third party partners to contact customers in their offices at a set time and date.