Three of Anguilla’s senior immigration officers are participating in training to improve their understanding of asylum procedures, eligibility and possible legal challenges.
The ongoing programme, which began in February 2024, is offered by the Regional Asylum Programme for Overseas Territories through the United Kingdom’s Home Office.
“The purpose of these trainings is to provide participants with the comprehensive knowledge on political asylum,” a statement from the Immigration Department said on 9 April.
This includes the application process, eligibility criteria, legal rights and the challenges asylum seekers may face.
“The trainings also aimed to improve understanding of the legal framework surrounding asylum and the role of legal professionals in supporting applications,” the department added.
Lake later travelled to the United Kingdom to participate in the launch of the Overseas Territories Asylum Network, from 3 to 4 December, 2024.
Senior immigration officer Molissa Romney attended a training session in Miami from 17 to 28 February this year.
Finally, Abbott then travelled to the UK to attend another meeting of the Overseas Territories Asylum Network from 24 to 26 March.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is responsible for processing asylum claims at the request of the government in Anguilla.
Anyone in Anguilla wishing to request asylum can email the UNHCR at usawacab@unhcr.org with their name, phone number and location.
A UNHCR officer will contact applicants within about 14 business days and conduct a brief interview to collect information and record it in UNHCR’s database.
Upon completing this registration process, asylum seekers will be issued an asylum seeker certificate.
A UNHCR officer then contact the applicant within about 30 business days to notify them about the date for their refugee status determination interview which will be conducted remotely.
More information is available from the UNHCR website here.
