Hotel Accommodation for Asylum Seekers in the UK: (in)hospitality and home in precarious accommodation

The aim for this research is to understand the immediate and longer-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the lives of refugee women in the UK; and how government structures and policies, and non-governmental support influenced integration outcomes for refugee women within the context of Covid-19. Early evidence highlights that refugee and asylum-seeking women have experienced a range of challenges throughout the pandemic, including lack of access to hygiene and sanitary products; declining mental and physical health; poor access to support services and healthcare; and inadequate housing. These were influenced by gender, immigration status and prior traumatic experiences. There are likely to be significant long-term effects of this period on refugees and asylum seekers. Evidence prior to the pandemic suggests that the early experiences of those seeking asylum in the UK can have longer term impacts on integration outcomes.

This research will primarily draw on integration literature and theories as a theoretical framework. Specifically, this research will take a multi-dimensional approach, drawing on the concept of refugee opportunity structures, as developed by Phillimore (2020). This research will therefore focus not only on refugee women themselves but also the role of the receiving society in shaping integration outcomes - specifically examining the role of government structures and non-governmental support. The methods used to undertake this research will be informed by feminist and participatory approaches. Methods will include desk-based research, expert and stakeholder interviews, and narrative interviews with refugee women. Refugee women will also be placed at the centre of the research through regular workshops to help guide the research.

This research will result in new knowledge of interest and value to a range of academic disciplines including social policy and migration, and also has potential for impact beyond the academic sphere.