Andrea Vukovic, Deputy Director at Women for Refugee Women, shares key findings from their recently published report into the treatment of women seeking asylum in hotel accommodation.
25 September 2024
Women for Refugee Women (WRW) support women seeking asylum in the UK and are currently funded under the Foundation’s National Influencing programme. This support has enabled the charity to undertake peer-led research looking at Home Office policies and practices that limit women’s freedom and liberty in the asylum system. Andrea Vukovic, Deputy Director at WRW, shares key findings and calls to action from their recently published report into the treatment of women seeking asylum in hotel accommodation.
The use of hotels as a form of asylum accommodation has increased significantly in recent years, as previous Governments failed to take swift decisions and allowed a backlog of cases to build up. Over that time, WRW heard from a growing number of women in our network about disturbing and upsetting experiences while staying in hotels. It was clear their reality was a far cry from the luxurious hotel set-up some people believe people seeking asylum are entitled to. Yet there has been little attention paid to women’s specific experiences – so our research team set out to uncover the facts.
The group of researchers, made up of seven women with experience of the asylum system and WRW’s Policy and Research Manager, identified three key areas to explore in the research: immigration detention, the ban on working, and the use of hotels to house women seeking asylum.
Our recently published report, Coercion and Control: The treatment of women seeking asylum in hotel accommodation, is the first to focus on the treatment of women seeking asylum in hotel accommodation. It uncovered a shocking level of coercion and control that women in hotel accommodation are routinely subjected to. They spoke of being extremely restricted in their movements, amounting to a constant feeling of being monitored and surveilled – from requirements to sign-in and sign-out and morning ‘roll calls’, to visitor bans and enforced isolation given limited financial means.
Perhaps the most pernicious finding of all was the humiliating and degrading behaviour that some women were subjected to by hotel staff. We heard multiple reports of staff letting themselves into women’s rooms immediately after knocking, not giving women enough time to get out of bed or to cover up. We heard reports of sexual harassment that left women feeling unsafe and confined to their rooms.
The impact on women who had already experienced gender-based violence was most profound. One of the women we spoke to explained how, “One of the hotel staff tried to come into my room without knocking using their key. And that was where I lost it. Because if you’re coming from an abusive background, you’re already angry.”
All of these practices mirror the tactics and techniques of coercive control, a non-physical form of domestic violence, which as the national charity Women’s Aid sets out “is designed to make a person dependent by isolating them from support, exploiting them, depriving them of independence and regulating their everyday behaviour.”
The treatment of women in hotels can be likened to putting a bird in a cage. The bird is deprived of flying wherever it wants and living the life that it chooses. Hotel accommodation has a lasting impact on women’s self-esteem and mental health. It tells women they are not worthy of dignity and respect and prevents them from recovering from their previous trauma.
– Women for Refugee Women
There is now a clear opportunity for change. The Labour Government has promised to prioritise survivors of gender-based violence and ensure they receive the support they need, which we very much welcome. It is essential that that the Government includes asylum-seeking survivors within this promise – otherwise a two-tier approach will develop, with women seeking asylum, who are predominantly from racialised groups, treated as less deserving and left behind.
Ultimately, we would like to see an end to the use of hotel accommodation. In the meantime, and for as long as hotels are in use, the Government needs to take immediate action to mitigate the harms of hotel accommodation – from cracking down on unnecessary restrictive practices to increasing the level of financial support provided to women in hotels.
Since launching the report, the research team has been invited to meet with the Home Office to discuss their findings. The group will continue to campaign on this important issue. They say, “This ill treatment of women seeking asylum must stop now. Women deserve safe, supportive and healing accommodation, where they can start rebuilding their lives on their own terms. We urge the new Government to take decisive action immediately.”
Find out more about Women for Refugee Women by visiting their website: www.refugeewomen.co.uk
