New report finds Azure cashless system creates unnecessary suffering for asylum seekers who are already in desperate situations
The British Red Cross has published a new report on the Azure payment card given to asylum seekers.
You can read the 68-page report here.
The Red Cross notes that the Azure card is given to refused asylum seekers who are destitute and cannot return home, for reasons beyond their control. They can legally stay in the UK, but are not allowed to work.
The card is pre-loaded with £35.39 a week for single asylum seekers.
The report finds that the card does not allow refused asylum seekers to meet their basic needs and live with dignity, and it creates unnecessary suffering for people who are already in desperate situations.
According to the Red Cross, those who live off the card often struggle to meet their basic needs, with some saying they were unable to eat three meals a day.
The report found that failures and restrictions with the system can leave people without financial support for days.
The Red Cross adds that the using the card causes stigma, with Azure card users feeling embarrassed, anxious and trapped.
Jonathan Ellis, head of policy, research and advocacy at the Red Cross, said the card is causing a humanitarian crisis among some asylum seekers and he called for it to be scrapped.
"With strong support from Red Cross offices and our partners across the UK, we feel that we have produced a compelling report which calls for the abolition of the Azure payment card …We urge the government to scrap this restrictive card that causes so much unnecessary suffering and re-introduce cash support", he was quoted as saying.