Written Evidence Submitted by Sayna Nikeaateghad (AAC0039)

Introduction

I am a third-year PhD student at the University of Essex, focusing on the asylum process and its impact on asylum seekers in the UK. Additionally, I serve as a Service Manager in the British Red Cross Refugee Support Service. This submission is based on qualitative data collected through my university research, which involved in-depth interviews with 30 asylum seekers across the UK. The participants, both men and women, ranged in age from 20 to 65 years and were accommodated by different providers.

The evidence provided here is exclusively prepared for this submission and is distinct from any material that has been published or intended for publication elsewhere. While the findings are derived from my academic research, this document is specifically tailored to contribute to the understanding of asylum seekers' lived experiences in the context of UK policy. Any future academic publications will refer to broader analyses, ensuring that the content here remains unique and unpublished.

This research focuses on the daily lives of asylum seekers, investigating the impact of the asylum process on their general wellbeing. It examines how various aspects of the asylum system, including accommodation, stakeholder engagement, safeguarding and welfare support, and data management, influence the lived experiences and overall wellbeing of asylum seekers.

Summary

•    Asylum seekers face inadequate and inappropriate accommodation, often characterised by overcrowding, poor living conditions, and frequent, unanticipated relocations.

•    Limited engagement between accommodation providers and stakeholders results in asylum seekers' voices being marginalised, with their concerns frequently dismissed.

•    Safeguarding measures are insufficient, leading to significant risks to the mental health and overall welfare of asylum seekers.

•    Fragmented data management practices contribute to inconsistent support, disrupted healthcare access, and neglect of critical needs.

•    Bureaucratic hurdles in accessing essential services, such as food and healthcare, further exacerbate vulnerabilities among pregnant individuals and those with specific health conditions.

Identifying and Delivering Appropriate Accommodation

Interviews with asylum seekers accommodated by different providers across the UK revealed that they are often placed in unsuitable accommodations without consideration of their health, familial ties, or specific vulnerabilities. Many reported being relocated multiple times with little notice, leading to heightened anxiety and mental distress. Accommodation often lacked basic amenities, privacy, and safety, contributing to deteriorating mental health conditions. The lack of choice and control over living arrangements exacerbates feelings of powerlessness and insecurity.

Furthermore, disparities in the quality of services across different accommodations were evident. While some providers offer comprehensive support services, others fall short in meeting even the most basic needs of asylum seekers. For instance, certain accommodations facilitated GP registration and Section 95 support upon arrival, whereas others provided minimal assistance, leaving individuals to navigate complex bureaucratic systems on their own. This inconsistency in service provision created a sense of randomness, with many asylum seekers feeling that their wellbeing depended on chance rather than a structured, supportive system.

Cases also highlighted how accommodation policies negatively affected family unity and mental health. One couple, having claimed asylum at different times, were housed in separate hotels and prohibited from staying overnight in each other's rooms despite the wife’s documented mental health issues.

In another case, a new mother struggled with inadequate facilities to sterilise her baby’s feeding bottles due to having a shared kitchen access rather than a private one. The only access to the outside involved navigating steep stairs unsuitable for a buggy, leading directly onto a busy street. This environment left the mother fearful of leaving her accommodation, effectively isolating her and her child.

Many asylum seekers reported feelings of uncertainty due to the constant threat of sudden relocations. This unpredictability led to sleep deprivation and recurring nightmares, as individuals feared abrupt moves to unfamiliar areas. The stress of adapting to new environments, losing established support networks, and having to start over repeatedly was a recurring theme.

Engaging and Working with Stakeholders

The relationship between accommodation providers and asylum seekers, as reported across different providers in the UK, is marked by a lack of meaningful engagement. Participants reported that complaints about living conditions, food quality, and safety were routinely ignored or met with hostility. This absence of responsive mechanisms undermines trust and leaves asylum seekers feeling voiceless within the system.

A significant issue identified was the lack of trauma-informed care among staff. In one case, a pregnant asylum seeker in need of urgent transportation to a hospital was told to wait until morning due to staff's unwillingness to arrange immediate transport. This neglect resulted in severe distress and self-harm.

Transportation to medical appointments posed another significant barrier. Delays or outright refusal by accommodation staff to assist with arranging transport left individuals, including pregnant women, without timely access to healthcare.

Some asylum seekers shared experiences of ineffective communication with Migrant Help and other support organisations. Requests for assistance were often met with bureaucratic responses, requiring documentation that was difficult to obtain due to language barriers, lack of access to GPs, or frequent relocations.

Safeguarding and Supporting the Welfare of People in Asylum Accommodation

The safeguarding framework within asylum accommodation is inadequate, with numerous cases highlighting failures to protect vulnerable individuals. Interviewees described experiences of neglect, including insufficient mental health support, lack of timely medical care, and dismissive attitudes from accommodation staff. The psychological impact of such neglect is profound, with many asylum seekers reporting symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress.

Challenges in accessing appropriate food for pregnant individuals and those with medical conditions, such as diabetes, were recurrent themes. Bureaucratic hurdles often left these individuals without suitable dietary options, forcing reliance on third-party interventions like food banks or cash-based assistance. The failure to provide basic nutritional support not only compromised physical health but also contributed to a sense of neglect and marginalisation.

All interviewees complained about the food provided in hotels, describing it as too spicy and not culturally tailored to their tastes. Families with children reported that their children could not eat the food, forcing them to seek support from third-party charities. Accommodation staff frequently dismissed these concerns, directing asylum seekers to contact Migrant Help, which in turn required GP letters to address dietary needs. However, securing GP appointments was challenging due to language barriers and a lack of awareness about how to access healthcare services. In one case, refusal to eat the provided food led to malnutrition and hospitalisation.

Cultural mismatches between roommates were also reported, with many asylum seekers feeling unsafe due to differing cultural attitudes. In one instance, an individual who had converted religions faced threats from their roommate. This lack of consideration for cultural sensitivities created environments that were often tense and unsafe.

Sudden relocations were a common source of distress, with some asylum seekers experiencing sleep deprivation and recurring nightmares about being abruptly moved. This constant uncertainty disrupted their ability to build social connections and familiarise themselves with local areas, compounding their mental health struggles.

Managing and Sharing Data

Data management practices, observed across different accommodation providers in the UK, are fragmented and lack coherence, resulting in inconsistent support and service gaps. Asylum seekers frequently experienced disruptions in care due to poor data sharing between agencies, leading to repeated assessments and overlooked health conditions.

Some reported missing important asylum interview letters due to address changes after relocation, underscoring systemic communication failures between accommodation providers and the Home Office. Missing an asylum interview, which is a crucial part of the asylum process, can result in the withdrawal of an individual's asylum claim, significantly affecting their legal status and future prospects.

When relocated, asylum seekers often had to re-register with GPs, causing interruptions in medication for conditions like mental health disorders. The lack of staff awareness about how to support asylum seekers in navigating the NHS, including services like 111, exacerbated these issues. Asylum seekers frequently described feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of healthcare systems, especially when compounded by language barriers and limited support from accommodation staff.

The process often felt arbitrary, with asylum seekers reporting that receiving adequate support was entirely based on chance. They described how the level of support varied significantly depending on the accommodation provider and location. In some cases, facilities offered comprehensive assistance, while others provided little to no help, leaving individuals to navigate complex bureaucratic systems on their own. This lack of consistency created significant stress and uncertainty, often leading to prolonged delays in accessing essential services and support.

Conclusion

The current asylum accommodation system in the UK presents significant challenges in meeting the basic needs of vulnerable individuals. Inadequate housing, poor stakeholder engagement, insufficient safeguarding measures, fragmented data management, and bureaucratic barriers have created systemic issues that affect the wellbeing of asylum seekers. The evidence presented highlights these challenges through the lived experiences of asylum seekers across the UK.

The findings reflect the diverse and complex realities faced by asylum seekers accommodated by different providers. Their experiences underline the pressing need for consistent support mechanisms and better coordination among the agencies responsible for their care. This report aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the issues faced by asylum seekers within the UK’s asylum system.

Feb 2025