I work with refugees every day. Here's how we can stop failing them
Emine, a psychological therapist, explains how living in unsafe accommodation makes the hard work of rebuilding your life after surviving torture almost impossible.
It’s almost impossible to rest easy knowing that survivors of torture are living in unsuitable and, sometimes, downright dangerous accommodation. These spaces are often cramped, unhygienic, lack culturally appropriate food, and provide little comfort to the people I support.
I’ve recently worked with a woman, Inara*, who was put in a hotel room with her young child for several months. The level of anxiety that this caused her is difficult to describe. The room was very small, and Inara spent almost all of her time with her baby in bed as there was no other space. She said it reminded her of being detained back in her home country.
The tiny asylum hotel room was many miles away from the accommodation where she was previously staying. She no longer had easy access to a GP or other vital health services, including in-person therapy sessions. It took the Home Office six months to rectify their mistake and Inara’s mental health deteriorated. Luckily, through the welfare team at Freedom from Torture, Inara and her child were provided with stable accommodation. But there are so many other survivors who don’t have this support and simply fall through the cracks.
As a senior psychological therapist at Freedom from Torture, my job involves using cutting-edge therapy treatments to support survivors of torture to make sense of their past and feel grounded in their new lives in the UK. While my work focuses on reducing the physical and mental consequences of trauma, I am increasingly hearing from survivors about issues with housing that have a huge impact on their wellbeing. Living in unsafe accommodation makes the hard work of rebuilding your life after surviving torture almost impossible.
Around 248 survivors face eviction every week, with many unable to access any kind of support to avoid homelessness and destitution.
Sara*, a 45-year-old woman who endured torture in her home country because of her involvement in political activism, is another survivor whose mental health was impacted by being forced to live in unsuitable housing with lots of other people. For those who’ve suffered torture and trauma, sharing a room with a stranger can seriously threaten their safety and recovery because it removes the privacy and control they so desperately need. Sara became very depressed in the shared home. Things got so bad that she never left her room and even considered suicide.
I am increasingly hearing from survivors about issues with housing and asylum hotels that have a huge impact on their wellbeing, says Emine.
Unfortunately, being placed in crowded or unsafe accommodation is not the only housing issue I’ve encountered when working with survivors of torture. The government’s “move on” policy means that people who’ve recently received their asylum status only had 28 days to find new accommodation. This can be years after waiting for a decision on their asylum claim. A moment that should be a cause for celebration instead becomes just another difficult hurdle survivors have to overcome.
Another survivor I worked with, Elijah*, found out that he would be evicted only nine days after he had been granted asylum. This bombshell occurred after five long years of waiting for status. Had it not been for support from charities like Freedom from Torture, he could have ended up on the streets.
Around 248 survivors face eviction every week, with many unable to access any kind of support to avoid homelessness and destitution. It’s deeply shameful that government policy is forcing survivors of torture into desperately dangerous situations.
Refugees have less than a month to navigate our crowded rental market, secure housing, and apply for work and benefits, all without having any income or savings due to restrictions placed on them during the asylum process. The difficulty involved in doing this while still traumatised and living in a totally foreign place, often unable to even speak the language, is almost impossible to imagine.
In 2025, we hope there will be further improvements in the law for the many people caught in this awful situation. But the increase to 56 days between an asylum claim being decided and the withdrawal of asylum support is only being trialled until June 2025. This change must become permanent so that more refugees will have a better chance of starting their new life with a secure roof over their heads.
Ultimately, the government needs to understand that from day one all those seeking asylum need safe and appropriate housing in our communities, sufficient financial support and the right to work so they can get on with rebuilding their lives.
Around the Christmas period, fears of homelessness are compounded by the extremely cold weather. All of this is on top of dealing with the long-term consequences of torture, which profoundly impairs people’s ability to manage everyday tasks.
For Inara, she can finally sleep through the night and wake up feeling rested and ready for the day. Now in secure and safe housing, Inara has dreams of starting to work again, something she used to love, and she is excited for her future.
But for many survivors of torture this is sadly not the case. And today, the need has never been greater for the support that organisations like Freedom from Torture provide as it’s estimated that one in three refugees and asylum seekers who arrive in countries like the UK are survivors of torture.
*Name changed to protect identity.
