Asylum Screening (First) Interview

This guide from Right to Remain explains every aspect of the asylum screening interview — the first formal interview after an asylum claim is made in the UK. It covers how to book an appointment, what questions will be asked (including on identity, journey, reasons for claiming asylum, health, and criminality), and the rights and practicalities involved, such as interpreter issues, biometric data collection, and obtaining a copy of the interview record. The guide also addresses specific circumstances including detained applicants, unaccompanied minors, destitute claimants, and inadmissibility rules, and is available in multiple translated languages. A notable caveat is that significant Home Office delays mean most people now wait many months — sometimes over a year — for their screening interview.