Destitution

In 2002, the UK government introduced legislation that withdrew basic support for asylum seekers who have had their cases rejected and have no further right of appeal. Schedule 3 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act came into force in January 2003 – this means that if a person’s claim for asylum is refused, they have no further right of appeal and all support is withdrawn.

Welsh Refugee Council has strong concerns about the quality of decision making on asylum claims and we believe that this is leading to claims being rejected unfairly. When an asylum seeker’s claim is finally rejected, financial support stops after 21 days and they are expected to leave the country – but for many reasons, lots of people can not leave.

Many are from countries which are war-torn or where human rights abuses are widespread, so it is not safe for them to return. They are still in the UK, asking for our help, but being refused the basic human rights of food and shelter. They can not work, but they can’t access benefits either.

Many people are left without somewhere to live or something to eat. They are unsupported and destitute in a foreign country that they came to for protection.

In Wales, we are part of the All Wales Destitution Taskforce and, nationally, we support the Still Human Still Here campaign.

Still Human Still Here

The Still Human Still Here campaign is dedicated to highlighting the plight of tens of thousands of refused asylum seekers who are being forced into abject poverty in an attempt to drive them out of the country. Supporters of the campaign believe that the denial of any means of subsistence to refused asylum seekers as a matter of government policy is both inhumane and ineffective.

Visit Still Human Still Here for more information on the campaign.

All Wales Destitution Taskforce

Welsh refugee council is a member of the All Wales Destitution Taskforce which is a network of organisations, groups and individuals who are working on issues relating to asylum seeker and refugee destitution. It aims to:

Develop a strategic approach to tackling destitution in Wales
Co-ordinate practical support to alleviate the impact of destitution, including through fundraising
Develop an evidence base on asylum seeker and refugee destitution for Wales through research and information gathering
Campaign for change
Share information, ideas and best practice

How you can help

The Hardship Fund was set up in 2003 to support the growing number of asylum seekers who are living in abject poverty. Your money will provide food parcels for those in need and, for the most vulnerable, a small cash allowance. All of the money received goes directly to helping destitute asylum seekers – administration costs come from Welsh Refugee Council general funds.

Donate to our Hardship Fund.