Resource

Over the last weeks, we have been deeply alarmed about the far-right attacks outside asylum hotels and threats of more organised violence across the country. We strongly condemn the racist and vitriolic targeting of people seeking protection in the UK. We stand in solidarity with the men, women, children and families at the sharp end of this hostility, who deserve to live in dignity and with safety. It is heartbreaking to witness the fear, sadness and disappointment among the people we support, as the painful memories of far-right riots from last summer are still fresh in their minds.  

The horrific and recurring attacks are a direct outcome of the constant vilification and scapegoating of people seeking asylum in our politics and the media. Asylum hotels have been at the forefront of these blatantly false depictions, serving as a distraction from the true nature of these spaces.  These ‘hotels’ are neither luxurious nor safe. They are dilapidated and squalid buildings, where people are forced to live in cramped and harmful conditions for months or even years. Our recent clinical research shows that people in asylum hotels experience significantly higher levels of depression and distress compared to those living in community housing. In some cases, people consider ending their lives.  

Private companies have been earning millions in taxpayer-subsidised profit, while deliberately delivering a housing system which dehumanises and further traumatises people.  

After coming to power, the government had announced plans to close all asylum hotels, but over a year since these forms of accommodation remain widely in use. Part of the reason for this is the dramatic increase in the number of asylum claims being refused. In our experience, these decisions are often poorly reasoned and frequently overturned on appeal. However, far from addressing the delays in the asylum system, this has resulted in thousands of cases going to appeal and waiting months for a hearing in the Tribunal. During this time, people continue to be stuck in asylum accommodation. The government should focus on ensuring that quality asylum decisions are made as soon as possible, without compromising fairness. Efficient and fair management of the asylum system will reduce and then eliminate the need for hotels and large accommodation sites to be used.  

As clinical and legal experts, the Helen Bamber Foundation and Asylum Aid have been calling for the closure of hotels as asylum accommodation for years. But they must not be replaced with crumbling, overcrowded and isolated large sites. People seeking asylum should be housed in communities through work with local authorities, charities and other stakeholders, so they can rebuild their lives with dignity in the UK.