Immigration and asylum support

Our Immigration and Asylum Support Service (IASS) can help people who are subject to immigration control and cannot receive money from the UK government.

Who we work with

We work with people who are subject to immigration control and cannot receive money from the UK government (also known as 'No Recourse to Public Funds' or NRPF). This includes:

  • asylum seekers
  • refused asylum seekers
  • people who are in the UK after their leave to remain has ended (overstayers)
  • people with leave to remain who have NRPF
  • European Economic Area (EEA) nationals
  • people who have been granted refugee status in a different EEA state

Before we work with you, we will check to see if you are eligible for our service. We will consider:

  • whether we as a council have a responsibility for you
  • your immigration status
  • money you receive
  • where you are currently staying
  • if you have any urgent needs, such as your physical or mental health
  • your access to food and accommodation

Support we provide

We can help with:

  • temporary financial support
  • accommodation (this will probably not be in Croydon, London or south east England due to limited space) 
  • money for basic needs
  • social care

We cannot provide immigration advice. We may be able to provide information from the Home Office regarding your immigration application and status.

Contact us

Contact Croydon Council's Immigration and Asylum Support service at iass@croydon.gov.uk.

If you need urgent help outside of hours call 0208 726 6000.

Other support you can get

Having NRPF means you cannot get welfare benefits, public housing, or financial support from the Home Office. However, you can still get:

  • support from social services
  • basic health care
  • compulsory psychiatric care
  • emergency medical treatment
  • education for children up to the age of 18

We can also direct you to other organisations if you need support with issues such as domestic violence, homelessness, or human trafficking.

Our service pledge

You'll receive a humane, fair and respectful response from our service. We'll seek a solution to a person's or family's destitution, but must not act outside our legal duties and discretion.

We'll try to ensure that we explain our processes and the potential outcome of your case to you. If there is anything which is unclear, or if you would like to have access to an interpreter or have an advocate present, we'll do our best to assist.