The East of England One Stop Service provides:
- Advice on asylum issues and the UKBA support system
- Support for clients at the end of the asylum process (‘Section 4’ or ‘hard case support’),
- Information on voluntary returns
- Information on ‘move on’ assistance for individuals who have been granted leave to remain in the UK
- Access to services such as legal advice, education, training and health care.
- Help clients find accomodation, if they are eligible
We have dedicated and experienced frontline staff who have been involved with the Asylum Support system since the establishment of National Asylum Support Service in 2000. In 2005 we provided over 5000 advice sessions to clients. We are increasingly helping asylum seekers with end-of-process issues, including those faced with destitution.
For clients with little or no English, advice is available in many refugee languages.
Own-Language Telephone Advice Service (OLTAS)
From Monday 20 June 2011, the Refugee Council will start operating the free and confidential Own-Language Telephone Advice Service (OLTAS). We will no longer provide a ‘drop in’ service and our current telephone advice will be transferred to OLTAS. This service is already successfully operating in our Birmingham office.
We will be unable to see refugees and asylum seekers who have not made an appointment through the telephone service.
To contact the telephone advice service, simply call the number below and follow the instructions to select the language required.
0808 808 2255
For people with a hearing impairment, a minicom / textphone service is available.
0808 808 2259
Calls from landline numbers and the main six UK mobile phone networks 3, Orange, Virgin, Vodafone, T-Mobile and O2 are free. Callers do not need to have any credit on their phone to contact us.
The Own-Language Telephone Advice Service opening hours are 9.30am – 1pm and 2pm - 5pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 2pm - 5pm on Wednesday.
Other services
Volunteering
There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer at our East of England office. Go to our Volunteering section to find out more.
Gateway programme
Gateway is a programme set up by the UK Government and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, aiming to identify some of the world’s most vulnerable refugees in order to resettle to the UK where they can rebuild their lives in safety.
Norwich is the first location in the East of England to become involved in Gateway and between December 2006 and February 2007 sixty-three individuals (including thirty-four children) arrived in Norwich from refugee camps in Zambia.
The Refugee Council in partnership with the Red Cross and Norfolk County Council works with the refugees after their arrival in the UK in order to assist their integration into their local community. Ultimately our task is to assist the refugees within twelve months to become self-sufficient and able to live independently - working, studying and participating in local life.
Go to the Resettlement programme to find out more.
Refugee Integration and Employment Service (RIES)
RIES is a service funded by the UK Border Agency (UKBA). Refugee Council are providing this service as the lead contractor in the East of England. The service aims to help and support newly-recognised refugees to integrate smoothly and quickly into UK society
More information on RIES
