The accommodation of asylum seekers is “unsafe” due to inadequate health care, while poor living conditions worsen or create mental and physical health problems, according to a new report by Doctors of the World.
The charity’s study, released Wednesday, details barriers to medical care and medicines for asylum seekers in initial accommodation in the UK.
Evidence gathered by Doctors of the World shows that non-compliance with basic human standards in hotels and former military barracks such as Napier in Folkestone has exacerbated depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health problems among asylum seekers.
Ara * describes waking up in a cold sweat every night since arriving in Napier. Sometimes he lies in a tight ball and trembles, terrified that he has returned to a prison cell.
“It’s always the same: I wake up, I scream, I remember,” he said. “I have bad nightmares. I need sleeping pills, but my GP told me, “Go to YouTube, he’ll tell you how you can sleep.” I do not have [a] phone so how can i see it? I asked for help, but no one will help me. “
For those who have escaped torture and imprisonment, as Ara did, conditions similar to detention at Napier Camp mean they are reliving their previous trauma, with many saying their mental health is deteriorating further.
“Others in my room [shared with 13 other men]”They are waking up,” Ara said. “It is impossible for me to fall asleep. We all need a doctor – we left the war – but there is no one to help us. “
Napier Barracks in Folkestone, where the Home Office accommodates asylum seekers. Last year, inspectors said the site was “poor, neglected and unusable”. Photo: ICIBI / HMIP / PA
Another asylum seeker said he had to wait more than a month for medical help, although he reported severe toothache that stopped him from eating.
“We don’t have a good nurse in the camp,” he said. “I needed immediate help – I couldn’t eat properly, there was so much pain – but they refused to do [anything]. They said there was no dentist, he would take care of himself.
In several cases, asylum seekers said the staff was useless and treated them as if they had lied about their medical condition. Some identified in the report said they could not buy medicines, toiletries, clothes or food, while others said the food was not culturally appropriate. 43% of the interviewees say that they have lost weight because they cannot eat the food provided that is not properly prepared or fresh.
Another man at the camp, Napier, said he had severe stomach pains from food at the camp, but was not referred to a doctor. “I’m so sick, I can’t eat. Sister, she’s never there and nobody does [anything]”
A spokesman for the interior ministry said: “We reject these allegations. Napier Barracks is safe and we treat the well-being of those who care for us with the utmost importance and sensitivity.
Asylum seekers, assisted by the Department of the Interior, are entitled to access to the NHS’s low-income scheme for health care assistance, including prescriptions, optometry fees and dental care.
However, accommodation providers are not required to directly support access to health care or to register asylum seekers with a GP, unless the person needs “obvious and urgent” medical care, such as severe blood loss, severe chest pain, complications in pregnancy or suicide experience.
In a report released last week following a visit to the Napier barracks in February, the parliamentary group of all immigration detention parties described Napier conditions as “quasi-detention” and said the barracks was “fundamentally unsuitable for use as a shelter”. .
An earlier visit by the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration found that most residents were depressed and a third felt suicidal, with people at risk of self-harm being housed in dilapidated isolation wards.
Despite inspections demonstrating the unsuitability of premises such as Napier, the Interior Ministry recently extended the contract until 2025. In a bill on nationality and borders currently under consideration in parliament, the interior ministry described former military barracks as a “prototype” for the way centers are adopted may work in the future.
According to Interior Minister Priti Patel’s plans to change the asylum system, the interior ministry says it will develop larger accommodation in remote areas, including the former RAF air base in Linton-on-Uus in North Yorkshire.
Anna Miller, head of the Doctors of the World’s policy and advocacy department, said: “Unfortunately, plans to develop new military-style accommodation are just one of many aspects of the nationality and borders bill currently under way. through Parliament, which will lead to lasting and profound damage to the health and well-being of asylum seekers in the United Kingdom.
“We call on the government to completely rethink its plans to reform the asylum system and to prioritize the health and well-being of asylum seekers in the United Kingdom.
In addition to rejecting the requests, the Interior Ministry said: “There is 24/7 medical care for asylum seekers at Napier Barracks, including a nurse prescribing nurse, on-site dental care and access to local GP services, which includes mental health support. The people in all our immigration evacuation centers have been brought to the attention of the medical staff and, after being screened, can receive clinical pathways to health services depending on their needs.
* Names have been changed and countries of origin have been omitted to protect the identities of asylum seekers.
Add Comment