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Destitute asylum seekers speak out as report shows government is failing

Thursday May 14th 2009

A devastating new film in which destitute asylum seekers speak out about their suffering is launched today on YouTube.

Refugee Action, an independent national charity that works with refugees to build new lives in the UK, has released the film to coincide with the publication of the largest ever survey of destitution among refused asylum seekers, asylum seekers and refugees.

The report, published today by the Asylum Support Partnership (ASP) of which Refugee Action is a member, reveals that almost half of the people interviewed had been homeless and in limbo for more than six months.

View the destitution tally report

The majority came from a handful of countries such as Iraq and Zimbabwe, where conflict and human rights abuses are rife.

Sandy Buchan, Chief Executive of Refugee Action, said: “Refugee Action’s film gives a voice to those who have been destitute for a long time, and allows them to speak out about how this policy has impacted upon their lives. One of the participants is a Zimbabwean woman who resorted to working as a prostitute to support herself rather than return to her country.

“Refugee Action’s film and the Asylum Support Partnership’s destitution tally, shows that homelessness is not persuading refused asylum seekers to return to their country of origin.

“We urge UKBA to watch the film and to commit to ending the policy of destitution. We recommend that they grant protection to people who cannot currently return to their country of origin and grant the right to work to people while they resolve the situation.”

Refugee Action’s destitution film, ‘The Destitution Trap’ can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0-3lMOB4io

ENDS

For more information contact Julia Ravenscroft, Press Officer at Refugee Action, on 0161 233 1956 or 07771 748 159 or on Juliar@refugee-action.org.uk.

Notes:

The Asylum Support Partnership is made up of the following organisations:

Refugee Action
Refugee Council
Welsh Refugee Council
North of England Refugee Service
Scottish Refugee Council

An embargoed copy of the Asylum Support Partnership Destitution Tally and Executive Summary is available from Hannah Ward at the Refugee Council on 020 7346 1213 or hannah.ward@refugeecouncil.org.uk
Refugee Action is an independent, national charity working to enable refugees to build new lives in the UK. We provide practical advice and assistance for newly arrived asylum seekers and support their settlement through community development work. As one of the country?s leading agencies in the field, Refugee Action has 27 years? experience in pioneering innovative work in partnership with refugees and advised more than 40,000 asylum seekers and refugees last year.