Report for the Welcoming Mayors Project calls for systemic changes to the UK asylum system to make it more humane
A new report by the No Accommodation Network (NACCOM) and the Good Faiths Partnership released last week sheds light on the significant challenges faced by asylum seekers in the UK.
'Treat us like humans': A report on lived experience of the asylum system can be downloaded here.
Published as part of the Welcoming Mayors Project, the report is based on focus groups conducted with 30 asylum seekers and refugees from Manchester, Newcastle, and London, held between July and October 2024. The project, funded by the Lloyds Foundation, aims to explore the role of Mayors and Combined Authorities in asylum and refugee policy, with a particular focus on the asylum accommodation and support system.
The report finds that accommodation plays a pivotal role in shaping the experiences of asylum seekers arriving and trying to settle in the UK. Across three regions and three different accommodation providers—Clearsprings, Serco, and Mears—participants reported overwhelmingly negative experiences with asylum accommodation, including dispersed housing, hotels, and quasi-detention settings. Issues highlighted include poor-quality and poorly maintained housing, isolation due to location and transport challenges, language and cultural barriers, and difficulties addressing problems with providers.
Hotel accommodation was criticised for its lack of privacy, unhealthy and culturally inappropriate food, and extended stays in what was meant to be temporary housing. Poor quality food was the most common complaint among asylum seekers living in hotels, with many describing it as "disgusting" and unfit for consumption. Some participants even likened it to food for animals, and one participant noted that horses in the UK are treated better as at least they are given food they can eat. The inability to cook for themselves was seen as harmful to participants' independence, mental health, and overall well-being. Several participants reported health issues, including weight loss and conditions like diabetes, attributed to the poor quality of food in asylum hotels.
The report also highlights the inadequacy of accommodation for specific needs, especially concerning health-related issues. One participant, who cares for his severely disabled wife and four children, shared the difficulties his family faced. He explained that within their first month in the UK, they were moved between three different hotels, none of which were suitable for his wife's disability. After two years in a hotel that met their needs, they were relocated to a house that lacked necessary facilities. The man was instructed to wash his wife in bed, a process he described as inadequate: "How can you take a shower in bed? You can't stay one month like this... It's not a shower, it's just washing. Give her water, soap, and dry her. The more infections come to my wife."
Overall, the conditions in asylum accommodation were found to have a harmful impact on participants' sense of welcome, ability to settle, and integration into local communities.
Participants identified barriers such as frequent relocation, language difficulties, physical isolation due to accommodation locations, and restrictions on employment. A major obstacle was the frequent movement between regions, with participants sharing how being uprooted disrupted their efforts to build relationships and integrate into their communities, often leading to feelings of isolation and depression. One participant described the shock and distress of being moved without prior notice, while another recounted the emotional toll of starting over in a new city after building a sense of belonging.
In concluding, the report calls for systemic changes to the UK asylum system to make it more humane, with the most common request from participants being to "treat us like humans". Recommendations from participants include granting asylum seekers the right to work while waiting for decisions, increasing local government involvement in asylum accommodation, and making local services more accessible and affordable.
The Welcoming Mayors Project calls for the Home Office to use the 2026 break clause in asylum accommodation contracts to pilot a decentralised model, offering a unique opportunity to address the issues raised and create a system based on humanity and dignity. The report stresses that the voices of those with lived experience should remain central to this process, ensuring that future changes empower asylum seekers and allow them to thrive.