Migrants Organise and Medact are proud to publish Hostile Housing, a new report outlining how asylum accommodation is harming the health of people seeking protection in the UK.
ABOUT THE REPORT
Co-authored by Migrants Organise and Medact, with research led by general practitioner and population health researcher Dr Joanna Dobbin, the report argues that the “for-profit model” is delivering an agenda of hostility and “containment over care” which is contributing to what researchers term “triple trauma”: trauma from conflict, trauma during migration, and trauma induced by Britain’s hostile asylum system.
RESEARCH FINDINGS
The findings, drawn from a survey of 60 people living in asylum accommodation, predominantly asylum ‘hotels’, reveal:
- Overcrowding, damp, poor ventilation and mould leading to respiratory problems, skin conditions and mental health deterioration.
- Majority of respondents in catered accommodation reported experiences indicating serious problems with food access, including, poor quality, limited variety not eating despite feeling hungry and skipping meals. Two-thirds of people rated food quality as poor. Children were significantly affected, with half refusing meals daily and over half experiencing weight loss.
- Over half of respondents felt unsafe in sharing complaints with accommodation staff. A third were not allowed visitors, while those in supported accommodation faced time restrictions around leaving sites.
- Respondents reported being watched and monitored, feeling unsafe, and raised concerns about staff.
As the Home Office moves to shut down “asylum hotels,” the report shows there is a need for safer, community focused housing models. In particular, the report recommends that asylum accommodation should be placed in the hands of local authorities who can prioritise not-for-profit community housing models.
