Category: Destitution

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Can you provide a safe place for an asylum seeker to stay?

BoazTrustLogoMay 9, 2013: A third of Boaz accommodation for asylum seekers is provided by hosts. These are local families and individuals in Manchester who have a spare room to offer to an asylum seeker on a temporary basis. This may be a week, a month or longer.

We are looking to increase the number of hosts in Greater Manchester. If you would like to know more about the scheme and come and meet us please get in touch. Email hosting@boaztrust.org.uk or call 0161 202 1056.

Ideally hosts would live within the M60 or Oldham, so asylum seekers can access support at the Boaz office in Ancoats, Manchester.

The hosting scheme is flexible to fit in with different living arrangements.

http://boaztrust.org.uk/2013/05/09/can-you-provide-a-safe-place-for-an-asylum-seeker-to-stay/

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Refugee Action Calls On Immigration Minister To Honour Britain’s ‘Proud History Of Supporting Refugees’

Refugee ActionImmigration Minister James Brokenshire was today questioned by MPs in the House of Commons following Wednesday’s damning judgment from the High Court.

The judgment, following legal action taken by charity Refugee Action, held that the Home Secretary had acted unlawfully by freezing the level of financial support available for asylum seekers.

Following an urgent question from Sarah Teather MP, the Immigration Minster was asked to explain how the Home Office would take forward the Judge’s findings.

In response to the Minister’s comments this morning, Dave Garratt, Chief Executive of Refugee Action, said:

“We are disappointed that the Home Office is considering appealing what is a very clear and thorough judgment from the High Court. Every day the Home Office spends prevaricating is another day this vulnerable group of people are forced to live below the poverty line, sometimes on as little as £5.23 a day. Continue reading “Refugee Action Calls On Immigration Minister To Honour Britain’s ‘Proud History Of Supporting Refugees’”

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Asylum seekers in the UK: Let them work and let them eat

open democracyROGER ROBERTS AND RUTH LISTER 19 March 2014

A new Bill would remove most grounds of appeal for immigration decisions, turn landlords into immigration police and extend charges for NHS care. On Monday Peers challenged the government to exercise some humanity.
  • The Immigration Bill, having passed through the Commons, is being scrutinised in the House of Lords again (Clare Sambrook writes). On Monday 17 March the Liberal Democrat Roger Roberts (Lord Roberts of Llandudno) and Labour’s Peer Ruth Lister (Baroness Lister of Burtersett) were among those urging amendments that would give asylum seekers the right to work (if the Home Office took more than six months to decide upon their asylum claim), and end the policy of enforced destitution for failed asylum seekers. 
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  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno Our progress as humanity has always been a continuous struggle to overcome discrimination and inequality. One can name Wilberforce, Lincoln, Pankhurst, Gandhi, Mandela and so many others who have contributed to ensuring that nobody suffers because of discrimination. All people are of equal value. The struggle continues. People are people wherever they are, and should be treated with respect and dignity.

However, there are some failed asylum seekers who cannot be returned home. . .about 3,000 such people living in the United Kingdom. They cannot work. They have no access to benefits and would, in many cases, be destitute were it not for support from government and voluntary agencies. This Section 4 support from the Government is entirely separate from normal asylum support for people whose claims are pending. Under Section 4, a person will receive £5 per day, or about £36 per week. Out of this, they must pay for food, clothing, toiletries and other essential living needs. We are glad that housing and utilities are provided separately. [Technicalities explained in the end note]. Continue reading “Asylum seekers in the UK: Let them work and let them eat”

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Kirklees and Swansea councillors back bid to support destitute asylum seekers

18 Jan 2014 11:00 Figures show there were 33 destitute asylum seekers and 300 supported by the Home Office in the borough last year

Congratulations Kirklees and Swansea: A bid to support destitute asylum seekers received the backing of councillors.

Figures show there were 33 destitute asylum seekers and 300 supported by the Home Office in the borough last year.

Kirklees councillors felt they could do more. Continue reading “Kirklees and Swansea councillors back bid to support destitute asylum seekers”

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QARN and Destitution

Destitution is created by inequalities, inadequacies and deliberate policy within the asylum system in UK. We will work with this as a core issue, alongside Children in Detention, and Indefinite Detention.

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Destitution: Home Affairs Committee – Seventh Report Asylum

Destitution

84.  People in all stages of the asylum system experience destitution:

  • those awaiting a decision if they are unable to access support;
  • those whose appeal rights are currently exhausted but fail to return to their country of origin, who lose all support and are evicted from accommodation 21 days after a final refusal; and
  • those who have been granted leave to remain and therefore have 28 days to leave accommodation, but are unable to access mainstream support because National Insurance numbers, benefits and housing applications are not processed within this time frame.[133] Continue reading “Destitution: Home Affairs Committee – Seventh Report Asylum”
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Home Affairs Committee – Seventh Report – Asylum

Terms of Reference

Key Facts

In 2012, there were 21,955 applications for asylum in the UK.

  • As of 19 September 2013, of those 21,955 cases, 18,423 have received an initial decision and 12,632 have been concluded. This means that 3,523 people who applied for asylum in 2012 have yet to receive an initial decision.
  • Of the 12, 632 cases that have been concluded 41% (5173) of those cases were granted asylum although 12% (1543) of those 12, 632 cases only received their grant following a successful appeal.[1]
  • In comparison, 180,000 immigrants arrived in the UK for formal study in 2012 and 179,000 immigrants arrived in the UK for work related reasons.[2] Continue reading “Home Affairs Committee – Seventh Report – Asylum”
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Destitution: take action

Take action: Still Human is calling on the Government to give asylum seekers permission to work if they have been waiting for more than six months for their cases to be concluded, or if they have been refused asylum but cannot be returned home through no fault of their own (e.g. because removals have been suspended).

This will prevent vulnerable people being left in a state of limbo for prolonged periods of time, will reduce the burden on the taxpayer and allow a small number of asylum seekers to support themselves and their families while contributing to the economy. Those who are allowed to stay in the UK, will find it much easier to become part of British society if they have been given the chance to work.

Please ask your MP to support this policy. Take action in less than two minutes on 38 Degrees’ website at: www.38degrees.org.uk/permission-to-work

Try and make your letter individual by writing in your own words or using additional information. For more information see the chapter on work in our report At the end of the line. Continue reading “Destitution: take action”

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Destitution of women seeking asylum

End the destitution of asylum seekers

Women for Refugee Women is part of the Still Human Still Here coalition, a group of more than 40 organisations that are campaigning to end the destitution of thousands of refused asylum seekers in the UK.

If women fleeing persecution are refused asylum and have exhausted their rights to appeal, they may become destitute. This means that they have no right to access benefits or housing, and also no right to work. It is estimated that over 200,000 refused asylum seekers are living destitute in the UK.  Because of poor legal representation and poor communication among statutory agencies, destitution can also extend to those who are going through the asylum process.

We can see the overwhelming negative effects of destitution among the women with whom we work. These range from the personal effects on women’s physical and mental health, to effects on the community and the wider society. We are particularly concerned that destitution increases women’s vulnerability to sexual exploitation and violence. Our experiences lead us to understand that destitution does not encourage people to make arrangements to return home.  On the contrary, destitute asylum seekers are overwhelmingly focused on day to day struggle for survival.

The Still Human Still Here coalition believes that the current policy is inhumane and ineffective and is urging the Government to provide asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute with sufficient support so that they can meet their essential living needs until they are returned to their country of origin or are given permission to stay in the UK, and grant asylum seekers permission to work if their case has not been resolved within six months or they have been refused, but temporarily cannot be returned through no fault of their own.

If you would like to support the campaign to end the destitution of asylum seekers, please write to your MP asking what they are doing to ensure that women who have come to this country seeking protection from persecution are not forced into destitution. Copy your letter to us at admin@refugeewomen.co.uk.