Insufficient Support For London's Disabled Asylum Seekers

Main Category: Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy
Also Included In: Public Health;  Aid / Disasters
Article Date: 14 Nov 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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Research released today by the Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees (ICAR) at City University London and Refugee Support/Metropolitan Support Trust (MST) has found that disabled refugees and asylum seekers in London are not receiving enough support from mainstream disability organisations, a number of whom are unclear about the rights and entitlements of these groups.

The research titled 'Supporting disabled refugees and asylum seekers: opportunities for new approaches', was commissioned by MST to examine the role of refugee community and mainstream disability organisations in supporting refugees and asylum seekers in London. The project focused on physical and sensory impairment because apart from mental health, there is a significant lack of research on disabled asylum seekers and refugees in the UK.

Asylum seekers in particular encountered the most barriers in accessing statutory services for health, housing and benefits. The barriers include language issues such as a lack of interpreters in doctors' surgeries and provision for the deaf and blind; and additional disadvantages experienced by women, such as addressing sensitive issues with GPs or dependence on husbands who, as the main asylum applicant, they rely on to resolve their status in the UK.

Neil Amas, Director of ICAR says: "The research shows there is a considerable support gap between the specialist refugee sector and mainstream disability sector. While Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs) play a huge role, their resources are overstretched so do not meet the needs of disabled asylum seekers and refugees."

Statutory providers such as local borough social services departments were found to be applying the law around care and support inconsistently or on occasion inappropriately particularly when dealing with disabled asylum seekers. All of the asylum seekers interviewed for the research had experienced difficulty in accessing the care they needed, when approaching their local social service department.

"Unless policy makers and service providers reach out to these groups and RCOs receive more funding and training, the needs of disabled asylum seekers and refugees will increasingly be overlooked."

Barbara Roche, Chair of Metropolitan Support Trust, says: "This research highlights the poor deal that refugees and, particularly asylum seekers face when seeking support and assistance. RCOs don't have the capacity to specialise in disability issues but are often the first port of call for refugees and asylum seekers; mainstream disability organisations don't see this group as a priority; and neither RCOs or mainstream disability groups have much of a relationship. There are lessons for the Home Office and social services departments too. We need to work together to do more and give fair access and support to all disabled people."

Refugee organisations specifically RCOs reported that mental health was the most common kind of disability among their refugee and asylum seeking service users. Although providing some support, RCOs were found to be under resourced and in some cases seen to have a lack expertise on disability issues.

Dr Alan Simpson, research fellow and lecturer in mental health at City University London says: "The serious mental health needs of refugees and asylum seekers have been recognised and identified by the Department of Health as a 'key group' for targeted, coordinated care under the new Refocused Care Programme Approach (CPA), launched recently. City University London is about to deliver training for mental health staff working in East London that will help them deliver effective mental health care to refugees, asylum seekers and others in the area with mental health and other complex needs."

Some of the barriers to accessing support experienced by disabled asylum seekers and refugees are shared by existing disabled populations in the UK, and in particular those from black and Asian minority ethnic groups. The findings also show asylum seekers and refused asylum seekers are especially vulnerable to poverty, hardship and associated mental health problems because of their circumstances, yet they still face exclusion from benefits and support.

The key policy recommendations include regular training for mainstream disability organisations, statutory services, UK Border Agency and RCOs on disability law and definitions, immigrants rights and entitlements and on the use of interpreters, a Home Office review of disability support for asylum seekers and refused asylum seekers and a review of existing data collection by organisations to improve the current lack of information on the needs of disabled asylum seekers and refugees.

The research is being launched at the Mayor's Office at City Hall on 14 November.

Further information about the research findings and recommendations can be found at http://www.refugeesupport.org.uk/researchandconsultancy.html

Notes

-The research was conducted in two parts: a literature review of relevant policy, legislation and research, followed by qualitative research with both service providers and disabled refugees and asylum seekers. 51 short, survey-based telephone interviews were carried out initially, followed by 19 in-depth interviews with Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs), disability organisations, Citizens Advice Bureaux, refugee support organisations, representatives of local and central government and specialist solicitors. Finally in-depth semi-structured interviews were held with 21 disabled refugees and asylum seekers - including asylum seekers who have had their asylum claims refused. As well as support from the MST, it was supported by the Greater London Authority.

-City University London is a principal provider of undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and vocational education in the United Kingdom. The University is committed to leading London in education, research and knowledge transfer for businesses and the professions and is renowned for its international focus and the employability of its graduates.

The University teaches across a range of subjects in arts including journalism and music, informatics, social sciences, engineering and mathematical sciences, business, law, health and community sciences.

The University attracts over 23,000 students from 156 countries, while teaching staff are drawn from nearly 50 international locations, ensuring that the University has a truly international outlook.

City University London was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and was awarded full university status in 1966. Please see the following link for more information http://www.city.ac.uk

- The research was commissioned by the Research and Consultancy Unit at Refugee Support/Metropolitan Support Trust. MST is one of the largest supported housing organisations in the country and operates across London, Midlands and Yorkshire. Its 700 staff provides services to a wide range of people with support needs including refugees and asylum seekers, under the Refugee Support name.

- The term 'refugee' has a strict legal definition set out in the Refugee Convention meaning a person who 'owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.'

- However, for the purposes of this report, the term refugee will be understood in its most general sense as referring to all migrants who were forced to leave their country of origin and have been granted some form of leave to remain in the UK.

- An asylum seeker is a person who has fled their country of origin to make an application for protection in another country and is awaiting a decision on their claim.

A refused asylum seeker is a person whose application for asylum has not been accepted by the Home Office and who has exhausted all rights of appeal against this decision.

City University London