We’re really pleased to have worked on this much needed resource with the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR).
Asylum accommodation has received a huge amount of media attention this year. Earlier this year, the now former Immigration Minister announced the Government’s intent to reduce the reliance on hotel accommodation. Since then, the Government has announced plans to repurpose surplus military sites and use barges on the basis they are “cheaper and more manageable for communities.”
However the experience of those currently in accommodation is often overlooked and we are concerned by the treatment and experience of asylum seekers in accommodation. Our community have told us rates of loneliness and isolation are high along with depression, anxiety and those with suicidal thoughts. Uncertainty and an increasingly hostile atmosphere in the UK are exacerbated by the racist treatment of asylum seekers by the contracted accommodation staff. Many don’t know how to navigate these situations, what their rights are or how to exercise them.
Ernest Ulaya, Ambassador and Advisor at the Migrants’ Rights Network said: “This resource is incredibly valuable for our Know Your Rights campaign and also to the entire charity sector working with migrants including asylum seekers and refugees. It will empower asylum seekers by providing them with vital knowledge about their rights while residing in Home Office accommodations. Equipped with this information, they will be auditors against any form of oppression and human rights violations, enabling them to assert their rights in situations where they are not respected.”
To view the full resource click here.