The Community Care website is reporting that hundreds of asylum seekers who are currently supported by local authorities under the interim asylum support scheme may no longer be entitled to such support on the accession of the ten new European Union (EU) countries from 1 May 2004.

It is saying that from this date those from the 10 countries will effectively cease to be asylum seekers, meaning that councils will no longer be able to claim money back from the Home Office for supporting them.

Some questions -

• If those from the 10 countries do cease to be asylum seekers from 1 May 2004, wouldn't this also impact on those supported by the National Asylum Support Service?
  
  
• If no longer asylum seekers, what is their new imm status?
  
  
• Depending on the answer to the above question, wouldn't such people be likeley to be entitled to benefit? Whilst the Government is expected to announce on Monday the results of its deliberations about whether to restrict access to welfare benefits for migrants from the accession countries, it's been suggested that they may attempt to do this by modifying the Habitual Residence Test. However would this in itself stop all (former) asylum seekers, if they are no longer entiteld to asylum support, from being able to establish entitlement to benefit?

we are still waiting for the detail of course. but i think that those who are on the interim arrangements, who, by definition, will have been here at least 2 years (because noone went on to them after September 2000) will be european nationals who can pass the habitual residence test and so get benefits, apply as homeless etc. my understanding is that the proposals outlined so far affect those coming to the UK to work, who will have to register to work legally, and who will not be classed as european workers or able to claim benefits for a set period. those who are here already will be like any other european nationals, and so will be able to claim benefots etc if they pass the habitual residence test. but we will have to wait for the regulations to be sure of that.