Refugee and Asylum-Seeking

Both refugee and asylum-seeking students are welcome to study at LSBU. We’ll be on-hand to offer support at every step of your university experience, helping you to settle in, focus on your studies and enjoy everything university has to offer.

A refugee student has been granted immigration permission in the UK whereas, an asylum seeker has applied to the Home Office to be recognised as a refugee but is yet to receive confirmation. For further information about how we can support your journey at university, please contact us via LSBU MyAccount or by using our Enquiry Form.

Our support package for refugee and asylum-seeking students includes:

• Financial support – Both refugee and asylum-seeking students can receive support managing their finances from the Student Advice Team and, with this team’s support, apply for hardship funds when available.
• Year-long accommodation - we’re pleased to be able to offer both refugee and asylum-seeking students up to 52-week contracts (standard fees apply) in our halls of residence, including over the Christmas and summer breaks.
• 24/7 accommodation support – in halls, our Operational Residence Management teams, Accommodation Office Team and Out of Hours Residential Wellbeing Managers are on hand 24-hours a day to provide welfare and wellbeing support.
• A team to help – at LSBU, we offer students support for all queries, concerns and support needs, please contact us via LSBU MyAccount or by using our Enquiry Form.
• STAR Student Group – Student Action for Refugees (STAR) is a national charity, comprised of 50 groups of 34,000 students, welcoming refugees to the UK. LSBU is one of the few universities in the country working in partnership with STAR to help refugee and asylum-seeking students to acclimatise to student life while campaigning and educating on their experiences.
• Ongoing support – throughout your time with us, we can offer regular 1:1 advice, guidance and coaching, as well as signposting you to access wider student support services around the university.

Beyond university life, we understand the obstacles that may arise while maintaining a balance of life and studying. We recommend some of the following services for a variety of common issues that may arise for refugees and asylum seekers:

General enquiries for refugees and asylum seekers

For general enquiries that may help you on your journey as both a student and as a resident of London, here are a range of organisations that contain several resources that may prove useful.

• Migrant Help (Telephone: 0808 8010 503)
• NACCOM for accommodation needs
• Refugee Council (Telephone: 0808 196 7272)
• Red Cross Refugee Support
• The UN Refugee Agency UK
• Refugee Support Network
• Student Action for Refugees
• UCAS site of student funding
• Refugee Study

Legal advice

For general legal advice, you can pay a visit to the Legal Advice Clinic on campus, where our ambassadors will be happy to help.

For immigration advice and enquiries, there a range of solicitors across London that offer free legal advice through Legal Aid or public funding. Before visiting any of the following solicitors, please ensure your case will be eligible for Legal Aid.

Trauma Support and Counselling

In addition to the ongoing guidance and support on offer on campus, there a range of centres both in the area local to LSBU and across London that specialise in offering help to refugees and asylum seekers. These centres offer a range of services from counselling, therapy, discussion groups and health advice, to different kinds of wellbeing, education and support services. There are also trauma support services available under the NHS, although they may require a referral from your GP.