Supporting asylum seekers and refugees with the criminal record check process

At Scouts, we welcome people from all backgrounds to join the movement. Asylum seekers and refugees often bring their own unique skill sets that we can all benefit from at Scouts.

However, we’re aware they often face some challenges when applying to become volunteers. In particular, when applying for criminal record checks, which is required for lots of our volunteers.

Asylum seekers and refugees are allowed to volunteer in the UK. 

According to the Home Office permission to work and volunteering for asylum seekers guidance, ‘volunteering can be undertaken at any stage of the asylum process’ and ‘asylum seekers can volunteer whilst their claim is considered without being granted permission to work’. 

We should be mindful there’s a difference between the terms 'volunteering' and 'voluntary work'. Asylum seekers aren’t allowed to do voluntary work. This means that volunteers can only give their time freely and shouldn't be paid for their volunteering time with Scouts.  

Volunteering can often be a lifeline for asylum seekers and refugees, offering them meaningful ways to spend their time, meeting people in their community, and building skills for a CV for working in this country. Although it’s worth remembering many asylum seekers and refugees often have a wealth of experience already.

How to apply for a criminal record check 

Asylum seekers and refugees can have criminal record checks (DBS, AccessNI or PVG), however they might find it difficult to provide the right documents and their address history. There are three routes they can follow, which each use different documents. For those who aren’t UK nationals, they’ll need to use Route 1. They’ll need to show: 

• One document from Group 1 (Any current and valid passport, biometric residence permit, a current driving licence photocard, birth certificate, or an adoption certificate).
• Two further documents from Group 1, Group 2a or 2b.

You can find the full list of documents on gov.uk.

At least one of the documents must show their current address. 

If the potential volunteer doesn't have any of the paperwork for these routes, they can still get a criminal record check by providing their fingerprints at a local police station. However, please be mindful when exploring this option, as some people may find this an intimidating and intrusive process. The Volunteer Centre Sheffield has made some guidance on the fingerprint method.

Tips on creating a welcoming environment

At Scouts, we want to create a welcoming environment for every volunteer. There are some particular aspects you should be mindful of when welcoming refugees and asylum seekers, such as potential cultural differences and language barriers.

To avoid miscommunications, try to be as clear as possible about everything, and explain things in detail. Remember that something that might be obvious for you, might not be obvious for someone coming from another cultural background. Be mindful that using sarcasm and acronyms might be a barrier for people who have English as their second language. 

Try not to make assumptions about what an asylum seeker or refugee will think, understand, or know about any given situation. What we think we know may be based on inaccurate, cultural stereotyping and may cause barriers for them feeling accepted and welcome into Scouts.