Investigating the use of temporary accommodation to house asylum seekers and refugees during the Covid-19 outbreak
Lead Research Organisation:
Edinburgh Napier University
Department Name: School of Applied Science
Abstract
This project will explore the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on asylum seekers and refugees living in the UK. As reported by the Home Affairs Select Committee, asylum seekers are at 'heightened risk' in the context of Covid-19. The project will focus on those individuals placed in temporary accommodations such as hostels and hotels, using Glasgow as a base for the project as the local authority with the most dispersed asylum seekers in the UK. Recent moves by private sector firms to relocate asylum seekers into 'safe environments' have been widely criticised, particularly for the difficulties in maintaining physical distancing in new crowded, shared spaces thus increasing the risks of exposure to Covid-19. Organisations and stakeholders representing asylum seekers have reported the fear and distress that this move has caused for asylum seekers. In addition, this re-housing has also made it difficult for charities to provide support to affected individuals, who are moved often at short notice. The project will examine what the situation is currently on the ground, how the crisis has accentuated the risk for those seeking asylum and develop responses with migrant communities to create a genuinely 'safer environment' for asylum seekers. Adopting digital ethnographic methods co-designed and co-produced with grassroots migrant organisations, the project will deliver longer term impact through the development of co-produced creative outputs including a documentary and work with outreach groups to influence UK Government policies and public debate on asylum.
Publications
Guma T
(2023)
'Are we criminals?': Everyday experiences of carcerality and racialisation in temporary asylum accommodation
in Submitted to Ethnic and Racial Studies
Guma T
(2023)
"Are we criminals?" - everyday racialisation in temporary asylum accommodation
in Ethnic and Racial Studies
| Title | I'm Still Here |
| Description | A documentary made with asylum seekers and refugees during the Covid-19 pandemic in Glasgow. Participants shared video and photo diaries to document their lives and experiences of temporary accommodation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | The film has been screened across the UK to a variety of audiences and it has helped engage with wider audiences than traditional academic outputs alone. The documentary has been shared and reported on by UK newspaper. |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBbZWzYMHsQ |
| Description | A key objective of this project was to document the housing conditions and understand the impact of relocation of asylum seeking individuals during the Covid pandemic from their perspectives and in their everyday life. Such conditions and experiences are captured in detail and ethnographically in our (interim and final) reports as well as in the documentary - I'm Still Here (2022) - that we produced as part of this project. They show how the relocation of our participants to hotel-type accommodations during the pandemic had a negative impact on their health and wellbeing. Individuals were faced with several restrictions due to the moves such as losing their cash payments, being unable to cook their own food, having their mobility restricted, being unable to visit friends or have visitors. We also set out to identify key policies and practices and understand the underlying factors and mechanisms in relation to the relocation and treatment of asylum seekers in the context of Covid-19. Amongst the recent development in the field of asylum accommodation, our policy review highlighted the rise of new forms of contingency housing. Here a key achievement of the study was to identify as particularly problematic the relocation of more than 20 asylum-seeking mothers and pregnant women to a specially repurposed facility called 'Mothers and Baby Unit' . The project findings show how this move had an adverse effect on these women's lives as well as their babies, leaving the participants shocked and devastated at the lack of space and cramped living conditions into which they were relocated to. Overall, our research found a significant discrepancy between the framing of these relocations by state authorities/private providers and the realities reported by the participants on the ground. While authorities described these actions as protective and necessary measures, due to housing availability being impacted by the Covid-19 crisis, from the perspective of our participants they amounted to a negative and violent process that further reduced their agency and extended the state's control over their lives. Rather than being treated as a group of vulnerable individuals in need of support and protection, our ethnographic research of the encounters between our participants and service provider staff reveal how these interactions often reflected and reproduced the ongoing stigmatisation and criminalisation that people seeking asylum face in British society. |
| Exploitation Route | Within the academic context, the outcomes of this project may be useful, for example, to inform discussions around how inequality was produced and reproduced during the Covid pandemic. Asylum housing is also an area of research that remains significantly understudied; this study may inspire further research in this field especially in relation to everyday experiences and interactions. Outside academia, the outcome of this study may be useful to practitioners, third sector workers and activists, for example, in terms of their efforts to raise public awareness and inform the public about the actual living conditions experienced by asylum seekers. The overwhelmingly negative media and public debate in the UK has led to a substantial misinformation about what it means to live in temporary accommodation for longer periods of time. A key outcome of this project has been the production of a research documentary/film - I'm Still Here (2022) - which can be used as an educational resource in various contexts; for example, within Higher Education, documentary can be used to enhance students' understanding around visual methodologies, film-making and non-conventional forms of research dissemination. The film can also be used by school teachers, practitioners, and activists as a way of raising public awareness. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice,Other |
| URL | https://tempacco.wordpress.com/ |
| Description | The overall impact of this project took various forms and extended to various levels: On the individual level, the two skills workshops which we organised with the research participants/asylum seekers were successful in terms of providing them and the two community researchers with practical skills on how to use laptops as well as offering a social space for individuals to meet in a socially distanced way during challenging circumstances arising from the ongoing pandemic. Most of the participants used the laptops not only for research purpose but also for studying, including ESOL courses. Being in a possession of a laptop had thus an empowering effect on participants, both in terms of upskilling but also enabling them to register for online courses which were particularly useful in the context of Covid-19 restrictions. At the policy level, through various face to face and online meetings and activities we engaged successfully with a range of local actors including practitioners, charity workers, policymakers, politicians, academics and members of public to influence policy and practice, inform discussions as well as raise awareness about issues faced by asylum seeking individuals living in Glasgow. In particular, our collaboration with Children and Young People's Commissioner for Scotland proved to be very successful, leading to a clear policy change and eventually enabling women living in Mothers and Baby Unit to move away from the cramped conditions to more suitable accommodation. A key objective of our project was to raise public awareness about issues and challenges faced by asylum seekers beyond Glasgow, and we were particularly happy to see that our study and findings received media coverage in a prominent UK national newspaper such as the Guardian. The interview given to the New Humanist further helped in terms of reaching a wider impact. The press release of our documentary also created a great deal of interest within Glasgow/Scotland and was covered by several local media sources including The National, Scottish Housing News and Glasgow Live. Finally, since the project ended in February 2022 we have organised 3 public screening events in the UK focusing on our documentary - I'm Still Here (2022) - as part of the ongoing efforts to raise public awareness on asylum accommodation, an issue which continues to be at the forefront of the British public, media and politics. The screenings which took place in Falkrik, Aberdeen and Birmingham, were attended by more than 100 people. We believe that raising awareness about the challenges faced by asylum seekers in the UK and tackling the stigma and misinformation that exist in the media and public discourse about this group requires ongoing public engagements and sustained impact work so we plan to do more screenings in the future. |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice,Other |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Our findings used as supporting evidence by Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | as noted our findings was cited as a backing evidence in a recent report published by the Commissioner which criticized the ongoing housing of asylum-seeking mothers in an unsuitable and cramped facility, especially in context of Covid, called 'Mother and Baby Unit'. As a result of this report, and the evidence provided by our project, the housing provider has now relocated all but one mother from this Unit, which is a clear and positive change from the perspective of our research participants. |
| URL | https://www.cypcs.org.uk/wpcypcs/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Mother-and-Baby-Unit-Report.pdf |
| Description | Submitted evidence to the British Academy's call for evidence 'Covid and Society: Shaping the Covid Decade' |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Submitted evidence to the The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) re: An inspection of the use of hotels and barracks as contingency asylum accommodation |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | "On the Margins" - Collaborative Research Network |
| Amount | £9,969 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2023 |
| End | 07/2025 |
| Description | 1st Meeting with Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | This was the first meeting amongst a series of engagements we organised with the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland regarding the relocation of asylum seeking mothers to a specially repurposed facility called Mothers and Baby Unit. In this meeting, the Commissioner was informed about our project and invited to meet the mothers living in the Unit in the context of ongoing pandemic, enabling the Commissioner to hear the experiences and perspectives of women themselves. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | 2nd Meeting with Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | This was second meeting with the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland regarding the relocation of asylum seeking mothers to a specially repurposed facility called Mothers and Baby Unit. The meeting took place face to face and was attended by 2 representatives of Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland, one local MP and around 15 mothers living in the Unit. The meeting was aimed at enabling the Commissioner to meet the participants in a face to face setting and collect further evidence of lives and experiences living in this special facility. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Accompanying Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland in their inspection of the Unit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Following previous engagements with Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland, we organised a visit for 2 representatives of the Commissioner to Mothers and Baby Unit to see and inspect the conditions in which asylum seeking women were living in. After the inspection, the Commissioner met with the housing provider to feed back their observations, noting their view that the building is not suitable for mothers and babies especially during the pandemic. A number of concessions were offered by the housing provider, including reducing the age of the children to 6 months, and knocking through some of the rooms to provide communal kitchens, thus clearly changing the policy area within housing of asylum seekers in the city. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | End of project report launch event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Around 50 people attended our report launch event which was aimed at engaging stakeholders and supporters in the accommodation of asylum seekers in Glasgow. The event was attended by politicians, policymakers, organisations involved in housing asylum seekers, charities, academics and participants. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Film screening |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Screening of our documentary "I'm Still Here' as part of Refugee Week in Falkirk, Scotland |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Film screening |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Screening of our documentary "I'm Still Here' in Birmingham, UK |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Interview with the New Humanist |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In November 2021, the project lead gave an interview to the prominent magazine New Humanist in relation to the project and its findings. Part of that interview were published in a long article - "Room at the Inn: Inside the UK's asylum seeker hotel scheme" - published in 2022 by the magazine focusing on asylum accommodation issues in the UK. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/5948/room-at-the-inn-inside-the-uks-asylum-seeker-hotel-scheme |
| Description | Meeting with local MPs |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | A zoom meeting was organised on 11 February inviting two local MPs in Glasgow to hear directly the housing experiences of asylum-seeking women living a repurposed facility called 'Mothers and Baby' unit. The issues raised at the meeting were followed by the local MPs, who told the research team of two policy changes: firstly, an agreement was reached between the MPs and the accommodation provider for an independent investigation of the Unit and secondly, it was agreed that no more women will be moving to the unit. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Press release and media coverage |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In September 2021 we wrote a press release about the interim findings of our project and sent it out to various media contacts in the local and national newspapers as well as to key stakeholders in the field such as the Home Office and Scottish Government press offices. From the interest generated by the press release, we were contacted by a Guardian journalist who wrote an article on our project and its findings. A key objective of our project was to raise public awareness about issues and challenges faced by asylum seekers living in the UK, so in this context we were happy to see that our findings received media coverage in a prominent national newspaper. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/16/home-office-hotels-for-asylum-seekers-akin-to-detentio... |
| Description | Press release of documentary |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In February 2022, we wrote a press release to mark the completion of our research documentary 'I'm Still Here', a key deliverable of our research project. The press release generated a significant amount of interest within the Scottish media, both locally and nationally. The documentary was covered by newspapers such as the National, Scottish Housing News as well as local newspapers such as Glasgow Live. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/new-documentary-turns-spotlight-on-asylum-seeker-experi... |
| Description | Skills workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | A skills workshop was held on 15th December with research participants and two community researchers. There were 14 individuals in total who attended the event. The 2-hour event was organised to introduce participants to the research project, explain the project aims and objectives, how data will be collected, stored and disseminated. Research laptops were given to participants and then the project team helped them with registering the devices and setting them up. As well as getting help with basic issues such as setting up password, accessing the internet, participants were also shown how to make video call using Skype application and stay connected with the community researchers in the course of study. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Skills workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | A skills workshop was held on 14th December with research participants and two community researchers. There were 11 individuals in total who attended the event. The 2-hour event was organised to introduce participants to the research project, explain the project aims and objectives, how data will be collected, stored and disseminated. Research laptops were given to participants and then the project team helped them with registering the devices and setting them up. As well as getting help with basic issues such as setting up password, accessing the internet, participants were also shown how to make video call using Skype application and stay connected with the community researchers in the course of study. The workshop was especially helpful for older participants who struggled more with laptops. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |