The current eligibility criteria results in the barring of many children, amongst the most economically disadvantaged in the UK, from Healthy Start. They are thus put at further risk of suffering a nutritional deficit with long term impact on their health and wellbeing. This submission outlines why the Healthy Start scheme should be extended to all families with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF).
This submission outlines concerns about Home Office contact management with people seeking asylum, including the imposition of reporting conditions on extremely vulnerable individuals, including those with mental and/or physical disabilities and survivors of torture and trafficking, and poor communication with those in asylum accommodation.
Once a person has been officially recognised as a ‘victim of trafficking’, the Home Office should automatically consider whether they should be given a grant of leave to remain in the UK. But last year our research revealed that a shockingly low number of confirmed survivors of trafficking had received this. Instead, they were left in limbo and reliant on the asylum system as a safety net.
It is critical for refugees and survivors of trafficking and torture to have access to consistent, trauma-informed support; proactive health screening; and medical and therapeutic care to recover from their past experiences. But key to addressing the mental health needs of survivors of torture and trafficking is also addressing the systemic failings that cause them harm in the UK.
Year after year, the Helen Bamber Foundation (HBF) has provided detailed evidence to the Home Office explaining why the meagre financial support given to people seeking asylum denies them their basic needs. This has a terrible impact on their mental health and impedes their recovery from trauma, torture and abuse. But every year, the rates are barely revised. If at all, they are increased by an amount so insignificant that it hardly makes a dent in their experiences of poverty.
For far too long, the Home Office has been detaining survivors of trafficking and modern slavery in ‘immigration removal centres’ after they have been wrongly convicted for offences their traffickers forced them to commit or after they have been found not to have permission to stay in the UK. Although most are later released (their detention having served no purpose), people can be held indefinitely. The harm this causes is profound and often irreparable.
The number of survivors of trafficking in immigration detention has increased dramatically in recent years. This briefing outlines recommendations to ensure survivors of trafficking are able to access the support and protection that they need for them to recover and break the cycle of trafficking, and for the UK to meet its international obligations.
This proposal looks at the challenges facing survivors of torture and trafficking living in London who are reliant on Home Office asylum support, and calls for the provision of free bus travel within London zones 1-6 to those seeking asylum.
Our new report with Humans for Rights Network (HFRN) and reveals that increasing numbers of men placed in RAF Wethersfield by the Home Office are self-harming and attempting suicide.
Our new report with Asylum Aid shows the mental and physical health impact of people seeking asylum being forced to live in hotels for long periods of time.
The Ambassadors for Change is a group of survivors with experience of the UK asylum system who campaign to ensure London is welcoming and fair for other people seeking safety. The Ambassadors for Change collectively decided to focus their advocacy targets on the standards of asylum accommodation and the impact it has on mental health in London.
The Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention Statutory Guidance (AAR SG), a policy meant to protect vulnerable people in immigration detention, was significantly watered down by the government in April 2024. As experts in the field, we are concerned that the changes will lead to vulnerable people remaining in detention for longer, exposing them to increased risk of harm.
