Stronger Together Week 1: Terminology

Housing in Wales for Sanctuary Seekers: A Quick Guide 

Person Seeking Asylum/Asylum Seeker 

An asylum seeker is someone who has left their home country due to fear of persecution and has come to the UK to seek safety. They have applied for asylum, which means they've asked the UK government to recognise them as a Refugee due to the threat of harm if they were to return to their country of origin. While waiting for a decision from the Home Office, they are considered asylum seekers. This process can take a long time, during which they are awaiting permission to stay in the UK. We prefer to use the term "person seeking asylum" rather than "asylum seeker," which can be dehumanising. 

Refugee 

A Refugee is someone who the Home Office acknowledges as having a legitimate fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, social group, or political beliefs. They're outside their home country and can't go back because due to the threat of persecution. Once recognised as a refugee, they can live, work, and receive benefits in the UK for a set period. 

Refused Asylum Applicant 

75% of initial decisions made in 2022 resulted in a grant of asylum or other form of protection Refugee Council 

A refused asylum seeker is someone who has sought asylum but has been denied Refugee status by the Home Office. This indicates that the government does not acknowledge their need for protection and has refused them leave to remain in the UK. If these individuals have exhausted all avenues of appeal, they are known as ARE (Appeal Rights Exhausted). Some refused asylum seekers choose to return home voluntarily, while others may face forced removal from the country.  

The proportion of asylum appeals allowed in the year to March 2023 was 51% (almost unchanged from the previous year). Refugee Council 

Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) 

41% of displaced people across the world are children Refugee Council 

Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) are minors who come to the UK seeking asylum without any parent or legal guardian accompanying them. It's the responsibility of the UK government to provide them with care, housing, and legal aid to ensure their safety and to process their asylum applications. Since they don't have adult support, these children receive assistance from the Local Authority rather than accessing asylum support as dependents on an adult's package. 

No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) 

"No recourse to public funds" is a condition imposed on a person by the UK government that restricts their access to most forms of state-provided welfare benefits and support. This means that they are not eligible to receive financial assistance or benefits from public funds, such as welfare benefits, housing assistance, or social housing. This condition is applied to refused asylum seekers and is also applied to other cohorts of migrants. 

Initial Accommodation: 

Initial accommodation is the first place where asylum seekers are housed upon arrival in the UK. In Wales these accommodations are provided by the UK government which in many cases has opted to use substandard and unusual accommodation like disused military bases and barges. They offer temporary shelter while asylum claims are being processed. 

Almost all people seeking asylum are not allowed to work and are forced to rely on state support—this is as little as £7 a day to live on. Refugee Council 

Dispersal Accommodation: 

After initial accommodation, asylum seekers may be moved to dispersal accommodation. Until 2023 dispersal accommodations in Wales were located only in Cardiff, Newport, Swansea and Wrexham however since 2023 dispersal accommodations are located across Wales. In Wales these accommodations are provided by the UK government through a company called Clear Springs. 

They provide basic necessities and support while asylum claims are being processed. 

Thousands of people have to wait years for a final decision on their claim, meaning they are left in limbo and unable to plan for their futures. Of the 128,786 people awaiting a decision at the end of 2023, 65% (83,254 people) had been waiting for more than six months. Refugee Council 

Find out more:

Refugee Accommodation Good Practice Briefing (taipawb.org) 

Tai yng Nghymru ar gyfer Ceiswyr Noddfa: Canllaw Cyflym

Person sy'n Ceisio Lloches / Ceisiwr Lloches

Ceisiwr lloches yn rhywun sydd wedi gadael ei famwlad am fod arno ofn cael ei erlid ac sydd wedi dod i'r DU i chwilio am le diogel. Mae wedi gwneud cais am loches, sy'n golygu ei fod wedi gofyn i lywodraeth y DU ei gydnabod fel Ffoadur oherwydd y bygythiad o berygl pe byddai’n dychwelyd i'w wlad wreiddiol. Wrth aros am benderfyniad gan y swyddfa gartref, caiff ei ystyried yn geisiwr lloches. Gall y broses hon gymryd amser hir, tra bydd yn aros am ganiatâd i aros yn y DU. Mae'n well gennym ddefnyddio'r term "person sy'n ceisio lloches" gan ei fod yn parchu ei ddynoliaeth, yn hytrach na "cheisiwr lloches," sy’n gallu dad-ddyneiddio person.

Ffoadur

Ffoadur yw rhywun y mae'r swyddfa gartref yn cydnabod bod ganddo ofn gwirioneddol o gael ei erlid am resymau hil, crefydd, cenedligrwydd, grŵp cymdeithasol neu gredoau gwleidyddol. Mae y tu allan i'w famwlad ac ni all fynd yn ôl oherwydd y bygythiad o erledigaeth. Ar ôl cael ei gydnabod fel ffoadur, gall fyw, gweithio a derbyn budd-daliadau yn y DU am gyfnod penodol.

Ymgeisydd y Gwrthodwyd Lloches iddo

Arweiniodd 75% o'r penderfyniadau cychwynnol a wnaed yn 2022 at roi lloches neu fath arall o amddiffyniad

Cyngor Ffoaduriaid

Ymgeisydd y gwrthodwyd rhoi lloches iddo yw rhywun sydd wedi ceisio lloches ond y mae'r swyddfa gartref wedi gwrthod rhoi statws Ffoadur iddo. Mae hyn yn dangos nad yw'r llywodraeth yn cydnabod ei angen am amddiffyniad ac wedi gwrthod caniatâd iddo neu iddi aros yn y DU. Os yw'r unigolion hyn wedi rhoi cynnig ar bob llwybr apêl, cyfeirir atynt fel ARE (Hawliau Apêl wedi’u Dihysbyddu). Mae rhai ymgeiswyr y gwrthodwyd rhoi lloches iddynt yn dewis dychwelyd adref o'u gwirfodd, tra gall eraill wynebu cael eu gorfodi i symud o'r wlad.

Canran yr apeliadau lloches y rhoddwyd caniatâd iddynt yn y flwyddyn hyd at fis Mawrth 2023 oedd 51% (fawr ddim newid ers y flwyddyn flaenorol). Cyngor Ffoaduriaid

Plant ar eu pen eu hunain sy'n Ceisio Lloches (UASC)

Mae 41% o bobl sydd wedi'u dadleoli ledled y byd yn blant

Mae Plant ar eu pen eu Hunain sy'n Ceisio Lloches (UASC) yn blant dan oed sy'n dod i'r DU i geisio lloches heb unrhyw riant neu warcheidwad cyfreithiol gyda nhw. Cyfrifoldeb Llywodraeth y DU yw darparu gofal, tai a chymorth cyfreithiol iddynt er mwyn sicrhau eu diogelwch ac i brosesu eu ceisiadau am loches. Gan nad oes oedolyn i’w cefnogi, mae'r plant hyn yn derbyn cymorth gan yr Awdurdod Lleol yn hytrach na chael mynediad at gymorth lloches fel dibynyddion ar becyn oedolyn.

Dim hawl i arian cyhoeddus (NRPF)

Mae "Dim hawl i arian cyhoeddus" yn amod a osodir ar berson gan lywodraeth y DU sy'n cyfyngu ar fynediad i'r rhan fwyaf o fathau o fudd-daliadau a chymorth lles a ddarperir gan y wladwriaeth. Mae hyn yn golygu nad ydynt yn gymwys i dderbyn cymorth ariannol neu fudd-daliadau o gronfeydd cyhoeddus, fel budd-daliadau lles, cymorth tai, neu dai cymdeithasol. Mae'r amod hwn yn berthnasol i ymgeiswyr y gwrthodwyd rhoi lloches iddynt yn ogystal ag i garfannau eraill o ymfudwyr.

Llety Cychwynnol:

Llety cychwynnol yw'r lle cyntaf lle mae ceiswyr lloches yn aros ar ôl cyrraedd y DU. Yng Nghymru mae'r llety hwn yn cael ei ddarparu gan Lywodraeth y DU sydd, mewn llawer o achosion, wedi dewis defnyddio llety anarferol, o safon isel fel hen ganolfannau milwrol a chychod camlas.

Maent yn cynnig lloches dros dro tra bod ceisiadau am loches yn cael eu prosesu.

Ni chaniateir i fwyafrif y bobl sy'n ceisio lloches weithio ac fe’u gorfodir i ddibynnu ar gymorth y wladwriaeth—mae hyn cyn lleied â £6.43 y dydd i fyw arno. Cyngor Ffoaduriaid

Llety Gwasgaru:

Ar ôl y llety cychwynnol, caiff y ceiswyr lloches eu symud i lety gwasgaru. Hyd at 2023 roedd llety gwasgaru yng Nghymru wedi’u lleoli yng Nghaerdydd, Casnewydd, Abertawe a Wrecsam yn unig, ond ers 2023 mae llety gwasgaru ledled Cymru. Yng Nghymru darperir y llety yma gan lywodraeth y DU drwy gwmni o'r enw Clear Springs.

Maent yn darparu hanfodion a chefnogaeth tra bod ceisiadau am loches yn cael eu prosesu.

Mae'n rhaid i filoedd o bobl aros am flynyddoedd am benderfyniad terfynol ynghylch eu cais, sy'n golygu eu bod yn cael eu gadael yn nhir neb ac yn methu â chynllunio ar gyfer eu dyfodol. O'r 128,786 o bobl oedd yn disgwyl am benderfyniad, roedd 65% (83,254 o bobl) wedi bod yn aros am fwy na chwe mis. Cyngor Ffoaduriaid