Migrants living in London hotels have been subjected to sudden changes of accommodation, provided with out-of-date food and forced to share one washing machine between 300 people, areport has found.
Migrant Voice spoke to almost 180 people about their experiences arriving in the UK.
The charity raised concerns about everything from the poor quality of their food, to cramped accommodation and inadequate toilet and washing facilities, which it says has exacerbated physical and mental health problems for many arrivals, some of whom are seeking asylum.
One spoke about how residents from at least two floors were forced to share one shower, said the report.
“Another reported 24 people sharing one communal toilet on a different floor,” it added.
“A significant concern raised, which goes against reported Home Office statements regarding the standard and “luxuriousness” of the hotels used, is staff behaviour. Asylum seekers have reported being subjected to verbal abuse, racist comments and threats in some hotels.”
The “vast majority” of survey respondents had spent at least six months in their hotel, resulting in some developing depression and attempting suicide.
“The asylum seekers we spoke to consistently reported feeling stripped of any power or control over their lives by the way they were treated,” said the report.
“They saw no end in sight, no light at the end of the tunnel. Having escaped war, persecution or other violence, they are stranded in rooms shared with strangers, forbidden from working while waiting for an asylum decision; struggling to afford bare necessities such as toiletries and medicine; often unable to speak English and with no language courses available, and forced to eat poor-quality food every day.”
The picture is in stark contrast to the description of the conditions painted by ministers, who have spoken about how asylum seekers are being put up in “luxury rooms”.
“‘Hotel Britain’ must end and be replaced with simple, functional accommodation that does not create an additional pull factor,” said Britain’s Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick.
Migrants at immigration processing centre in Manston - in pictures
The country recently announced plans to house up to 500 migrants on a giant barge off the coast of Dorset.
The Home Office said the three-storey Bibby Stockholm would provide “basic and functional accommodation, healthcare provision and catering facilities” along with 24/7 security under government plans to reduce the £5.6 million ($6.9 million) a day bill on hotel accommodation for migrants, housing 500 single adult males while their claims are being processed.
Round-the-clock security would be in place on board “to minimise the disruption to local communities,” the Home Office added.
About 51,000 asylum seekers are currently in temporary accommodation such as hotels as the government tackles a backlog of claims.
“The increased use of contingency accommodation has been blamed on the increase in 'small boat crossings' in the Channel,” said the Migrant Voice report.
“However, the number of Channel crossings does not explain how, despite nearly 10,000 more applications being submitted in 2002 than in 2022, 84,132 compared to 74,751, the number of initial decisions dropped from more than 99 per cent of applications to 25 per cent.
“Meanwhile, the much publicised 'backlog' of asylum claims has grown over recent years, despite the number of applications remaining relatively static within much of the same period and the number of caseworkers processing them increasing from 260 in the year ending March 2016 to 614 in March 2022.”
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Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
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Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
