Destitution

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.

Herlinde Lokkuke by Aliya Mirza

Herlinde’s story: When I came here I thought I would be safe, but it has been so hard. I have spent a lot of time living destitute. That means that I am not allowed to work but also I am not allowed to claim benefits and I am not given anywhere to live. Being destitute made me really desperate. The first time was in July 2005. I was destitute for nearly a year and a half until October 2006.  I felt like I was falling into a bottomless pit. I felt like I had lost everything; it felt like there was no one to help.

In 2009, when the Home Office rejected my case again,  I became destitute for the second time,  for 15 months. When you are destitute you come across people like you with many different stories. Women like myself who have nowhere to go, and spend their nights in shelters. Sometimes those shelters are full, and women are forced to spend the night on the streets.  One woman told me how she had been raped on the streets because she was sleeping rough.  Some women go to Heathrow airport  to sleep. Or they take a night bus, going around and around the streets of London.  Some women become prostitutes to survive.

Being destitute affects your whole wellbeing; your mind, body and soul.  I found when I was destitute that I couldn’t plan my life. You feel useless and down. You are not steady, you become like a child.

Although I have now been given leave to remain. I still find it hard to accept how my life has turned out to be in the UK. I feel sad all the time knowing all those years have been lost. I can’t believe this has happened to me, that I lived like this, like a beggar. This was never meant to be my life.     

We would like to see an end to the destitution of failed asylum seekers. Those seeking asylum should have the right to work or be able to access appropriate support.