Our Refugee Support Service visits asylum hotels across Scotland to make sure residents are aware of their rights and know where to turn for help.
Over the last few months we have met hundreds of people living in hotel accommodation in towns and cities from Aberdeenshire to Dumfries and Galloway. Some residents have only been in Scotland for a few days. Others have been waiting months or years to hear if they will be granted refugee protection.
Many of the guests are from war zones. Some are escaping dictatorships and repressive regimes. Others have fled the threat of violence, imprisonment or even death as a result of their ethnicity, sexuality, politics or religion. In the UK, they face a complex asylum system that is hostile and hard to navigate.
The hotels we visit have all been taken over by private companies contracted by the UK government to provide asylum accommodation. They range from B&Bs in inner-city town houses to large, brutalist buildings on the outskirts of towns.
This is definitely not five-star living. Most asylum hotels offer only the most basic of amenities. Many residents share rooms, often with total strangers.
We hold drop-in sessions in communal areas, like hotel lobbies, lounges or the dining rooms where guests gather to eat.
Our expert advisors share information about the rights and entitlements of people in the asylum system and the role of legal advisors. We cover what to expect at the Home Office interviews which determine the outcome of a person’s asylum claim and what to do next if you receive a positive or negative decision. We also let people know how to access health services and where to go for help and support.
At each session, we are joined by interpreters so information can be provided, and questions asked, in multiple languages.
The venues may vary but the challenges guests face remain the same.
People in asylum hotels are expected to live on just £8.86 per week. Many would like to work but strict asylum rules won’t allow them to.
With so little money, life is limited. Guests struggle with feelings of boredom and isolation. Some study English at local colleges but the courses are often oversubscribed.
Food is raised as an issue. Meals are provided but people have little choice about when or what they eat. Often the food served is unfamiliar and sometimes of poor quality. Most guests do not have access to cooking facilities. Even if they did, they can’t afford ingredients to prepare their own meals.
Public transport is another common concern, especially for those staying in more rural areas and out-of-town hotels. When you can’t afford a bus or train ticket, it’s easy to feel hopeless and stranded. People tell us they struggle with poor mental health but aren’t sure where to turn for support.
Many residents express confusion and frustration about the complex system and lengthy delays. Some have not yet had their Home Office interview. Others are waiting anxiously for an outcome. Some have been granted refugee status but have not yet received the documentation that confirms their right to remain in the UK. Without it, they are trapped in limbo, unable to look for work, register for welfare, or search for new accommodation.
Asylum hotels are supposed to be for adults. But in most venues, we meet teenagers who are under 18. In Scotland, asylum seeking children should be taken into care and assigned a guardian to support them through the complex asylum system.
Instead, our advisors are encountering increasing numbers of frightened young people who have been labelled adults by the authorities and are struggling to prove their real age. It’s a worrying trend. Children who arrive in the UK without parents or guardians to look out for them are extremely vulnerable to trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
At each hotel, we listen to residents’ concerns, offer reassurance and provide specialist advice to help people actively engage with the asylum process.
Find out more about our Refugee Support Service and how we’re helping people across Scotland to rebuild their lives in safety.
