Asylum Seekers In UK Complaining About Accommodation Receive Deportation Threats - Charity

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd March, 2023) Asylum seekers in the United Kingdom, who complain about accommodation conditions, receive threats of deportation to Rwanda, an independent national charity Refugee Action that provides advice and support to refugees and asylum seekers in the UK said in its fresh report released on Thursday.

"People and families in asylum accommodation are being held indefinitely in conditions that actively harm their physical and mental health ... People in asylum accommodation who complain have been threatened with police or deportation to Rwanda, or banned from common areas," Refugee Action said in a press release regarding the report dubbed "Hostile Accommodation."

People who seek asylum in the UK are de-facto similar to prisoners since their movements are monitored and limited, their homes undergo regular inspection without prior notice and their possessions are under constant threat of confiscation, according to the charity.

In addition, poor living conditions affect people's health while children lack access to education and live in an environment that harms their mental health, creating development issues.

"In fact, three in four people surveyed by Refugee Action said they had had problems with food, leading to malnutrition and hunger," the research revealed.

Refugee Action established that such poor conditions for asylum seekers are due to the fact that private companies contracted by the government to run accommodation ignore people's well-being in the pursuit of huge profit.

The report Hostile Accommodation" is based on data analysis from mid-2021 to January 2023, as well as an in-depth survey of 100 asylum seekers.

In April 2022, the UK and Rwanda signed a migration agreement, stipulating that people recognized by the UK government as illegal migrants or asylum seekers will be deported to Rwanda for processing of documents, obtaining asylum and relocation. The first deportation of migrants to Rwanda was planned for June 14. However, the flight was canceled at the last moment as the European Court of Human Rights granted an appeal to all the asylum seekers on board. The UK had reportedly paid Rwanda 120 million Pounds ($145 million) for the failed relocation of illegal migrants to the country and was not happy with the European court's decision.

Earlier in March, UK Secretary of State for the Home Department Suella Braverman presented a bill to parliament that seeks to relocate migrants who came to the UK illegally by boats across the English Channel to a "safe third country" like Rwanda. Asylum in the UK will only be granted in exceptional cases based on yearly quota. On Sunday, the UK and Rwanda signed an update to the agreement on relocating illegal migrants to the African country.

Braverman's plan has faced serious criticism from both the opposition and various human rights organizations. Some argue that forced relocation will not be effective in preventing illegal migration to the UK, while others say the bill violates human rights.