Concerns for mental health of people in hotels grows 

Time and time again, we and others have warned the Home Office about the unsuitability of institutionalised accommodation. For those who have fled persecution, torture and war, this indefinite stay in accommodation sites without effective mental health support, adequate food provisions and meagre financial support is having catastrophic impacts.  

Here’s an extract from our contribution to this recent article detailing these failures: 

““Forced into increasingly isolated living conditions, stripped of the right to work, and threatened with removal to Rwanda, people seeking asylum are being subjected to a system of fear and intimidation. 

“This is a chronic failure of Mears and the Home Office to provide a safe and appropriate environment for people who have fled torture, trafficking and persecution. People seeking asylum must have access to person-centred and confidential care. The UK asylum system cannot continue to function as a death trap.” 

Institutionalised accommodation has plunged thousands of people seeking safety into crisis. At Positive Action in Housing, we have seen first-hand the impacts of these hostile policies on the mental health of those who have been abandoned in limbo across the UK without the necessary support. Lengthy and indefinite waiting times in hotels unfit for long-term residency, less than £9 financial support per week and the constant threat of deportation trap people seeking asylum in a cycle of insecurity. We continue to support people in institutionalised accommodation who are facing hostile immigration controls. 

Read the rest of the article here.  

Iona Taylor (Advocacy and Campaigns Lead)