‘It is not safe – the asylum system doesn’t protect women from sexual violence’

The UK asylum system is re-traumatising women and girls who have fled rape and sexual violence, a new report has found.

The report released by Rape Crisis England & Wales and Imkaan revealed that women who arrive in the UK are instead trapped within a system that puts them at further risk of sexual violence, abuse and exploitation.

Azadeh is a specialist supporter worker who also has experience of living within UK asylum accommodation.

She said: ‘It is simply not safe. You keep silent for fear that anything you say could jeopardize your application process. You are living with so much fear.’

The report chronicles the experiences of sexual violence and abuse prior to, during and since attempting to seek safety in the UK under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

It was found that rather than rehabilitating these women, the system instead exuberates their trauma.

This trauma is caused by poor physical conditions, mixed-sex settings, lack of support, and the scrutiny victims and survivors face throughout the asylum process.

This was experienced first-hand by Claire, a specialist frontline worker supporting women seeking asylum, who said: ‘It is hard to convey how intimidating it is for women living in asylum accommodation.

‘So many of the women have experienced some form of gender-based violence or sexual violence.

‘The living environment doesn’t protect them, it doesn’t support them – they feel so unsafe.’

Specialist voluntary organisations have provided a lifeline for these women amid a backdrop of hostile immigration environment, safeguarding failures and often uninhabitable asylum accommodation, according to the report.

Specific findings have been highlighted in the report that build upon previous research conducted on this topic by Women for Refugee Women.

Ghadah Alnasseri, Interim Co-Executive Director at Imkaan, said: ‘Our Not Safe Here report highlights the alarming reality faced by asylum-seeking women in the UK, who endure not only the trauma of past sexual violence but who face a situation where the distress they have suffered is compounded by the harms created by the asylum accommodation system itself and the wider hostility towards asylum seekers.

‘Our findings underline the urgent need for reform, emphasising the necessity of safe housing, comprehensive and specialist support services, and vigorous accountability measures.

‘By implementing the key recommendations outlined, we must work towards creating a system that prioritises the safety, dignity, and well-being of asylum-seeking women, providing them with the support, justice and protection they deserve.’

Ciara Bergman, Chief Executive Officer at Rape Crisis England & Wales, said: ‘Every woman seeking asylum in the UK has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and is entitled to protection under the law.

‘For anyone to be sexually assaulted, intimidated or exploited at any time in their life is a travesty, and for these experiences to then be repeated and compounded in a system which is both detaining and responsible for protecting them is a scandal.

‘We thank the survivors who came forward to speak about their experiences and those of their fellow residents, and we also thank the many organisations and professionals who worked with us to produce this report.

‘It is not enough to listen – the Home Office must now act; it must acknowledge this crisis and work with us to implement immediate and substantial changes to the conditions which enable residents and staff to abuse some of the most vulnerable women and children in our society, and for women and children to be retraumatised in this way.’

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