Someone is in slavery if they are forced to work, ‘owned’ or controlled by an ‘employer’. They may be bought or sold as property. Their freedom may be restricted in some way.

Modern slavery includes ‘forced labour’, ‘sex trafficking’, ‘domestic servitude’, ‘child labour’, or other types of exploitation like forced organ removal or begging.

Find out more about modern slavery here.

If your asylum application is granted, you will be recognised as a refugee. Any asylum support you currently have (money or accommodation) will end in 28 days. This 28 day period is known as the ‘move on’ period.

The Welsh Government has produced a plan for how we will support refugees and asylum seekers over the next few years. This is called the Nation of Sanctuary plan. The full plan can be found here.

We will:

1. Make sure refugees can find new accommodation when they leave asylum accommodation.
2. Support asylum seekers to get good quality asylum accommodation from the UK Government.
3. Support refugees to access employment or set up their own business. 
4. Help people seeking sanctuary to avoid poverty.
5. Promote the Welsh Government as a place for refugees to work.
6. Help refugee or asylum seeker survivors of domestic abuse to get support.
7. Try to stop people seeking sanctuary becoming victims of slavery or trafficking.
8. Make sure the health needs of people seeking sanctuary are understood and reduce barriers to healthcare.
9. Help children to have a healthy start in life.
10. Reduce mental health conditions experienced by people seeking sanctuary.
11. Promote sport and physical activity opportunities.
12. Help schools to support learners from these backgrounds to get a good education, stop bullying and provide counselling. 
13. Encourage more families use ‘Foundation Phase’ education, ‘Flying Start’, and ‘Families First’ opportunities.
14. Make sure people seeking sanctuary have access to language learning and digital literacy opportunities.
15. Increase opportunities to access further and higher education.
16. Support child asylum seekers to get the advice and support they need.
17. Help local authorities to look after child asylum seekers.
18. Support communities to get on together.
19. Make sure people seeking sanctuary can get information about their rights and advice.
20. Support volunteering opportunities.
21. Provide leadership around refugee and asylum seeker integration and resettlement in Wales.
22. Promote understanding of Welsh culture and heritage.
23. Provide equal access to the internet for people seeking sanctuary in Wales.

Most healthcare in Wales is provided free for people seeking sanctuary. The National Health Service (usually known as the NHS) provides many of these services. The NHS is funded by taxes.

More information about the services provided by the NHS can be found here.

Most employed people in the UK pay ‘national insurance contributions’ which pay towards public services and social security (welfare benefits). You need a national insurance number before you can start making contributions.

The number will make sure your contributions and tax are recorded against your name, which will help to ensure you receive the correct pension.

Most asylum seekers and refused asylum seekers are not eligible for a national insurance number because you do not have the right to work.

This is a UK Government managed scheme to move unaccompanied asylum seeking children from the South of England to other parts of the UK to be looked after by local authorities.

NHS Direct is a very useful website and phone number providing healthcare advice. If English is not your first language, NHS Direct Wales can provide confidential telephone interpreters in over 120 languages. Call 08454647 and in English state the language you want to use. You should be connected to an interpreter who can help to get you good quality medical information.

Lots of medical information is available on the NHS Direct website.

The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) regulates immigration advice in the UK. You should only use a solicitor who is regulated by the OISC. You can find OISC-regulated solicitors here:

http://home.oisc.gov.uk/adviser_finder/finder.aspx

This is someone who had permission to live in the UK for a certain period of time but has remained here for longer than permitted.

The Welsh Government uses the term ‘people seeking sanctuary’ to refer to refugees or asylum seekers from any background or immigration status. If you read the term ‘people seeking sanctuary’ on this website it means that the information applies to all refugees, asylum seekers or refused asylum seekers.