The three interviewees living in Section 4 or asylum accommodation at the time of this study raised concerns over the quality of the housing provided to them. They were interviewed during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and were extremely anxious, particularly as they reported that the communal areas (outside their apartments) were not cleaned and they were not able to afford extra cleaning products, soap, masks and hand sanitiser on approximately 35GBP per week. Almost all interviewees, whether receiving immigration financial support or not, relied on friends, local communities or relatives to support them. Before living in Section 4 accommodation, one lived with friends for three years and then later stayed with someone he met through church for eight months. Another lived with the friends he met in his community for over two years; following that, he applied for asylum support. Another has relied entirely on friends for over seven years whilst trying to apply for leave in the UK. His friends also assisted him in paying for legal advice for his statelessness application. Three had worked informally in the UK prior to making an application for statelessness leave. During the periods they worked, they all paid UK taxes and described themselves as financially independent. In addition, at the time of interview, one was living on savings as he previously had permission to work whilst in the asylum system. A couple of interviewees were living with relatives already in the UK (one with extended family who are British citizens and the other with his brother who had arrived in the UK before him and had successfully claimed asylum here). EMPLOYMENT No interviewees were working at the time of interview. Of the four that had statelessness leave and hence permission to work, one was studying, another was still finding his feet and had yet to learn English, the third was searching for a job and the fourth was retired. One with several qualifications explained the difficulty in finding employment. He noted that he had been in the UK from a young age and was unable to work at any point during his nine years before gaining leave. He therefore had no work experience, which means employers were less likely to hire him. ‘I tried to apply for a few but it’s really hard to get [a job] with no experience and no proper or official practice.’ – Khalil 35 General Certificate of Secondary Education The rest did not currently have permission to work in the UK (two previously had permission in line with their previous visas). Many were volunteering or had volunteered during their time here. They volunteered in migrant centres, homeless shelters, charity shops, churches and with local sports teams. For example, after visiting a church’s foodbank several times, one was offered the ability to volunteer with them and the church helped him with food and clothes. They all described volunteering as important to their mental health. ‘For me it’s an outlet to channel my energy and not be too negative, because I’m working toward something.’ – Paul. One interviewee felt particularly frustrated at not being able to work, highlighting that he is extremely skilled with a UK degree in engineering. However, he has been barred from working. They all explained that they did not want to simply take from the UK Government and rather wanted to be able to contribute to society whilst trying to find a solution to their situation. EDUCATION For those interviewees who didn’t already speak English before coming to the UK, some had the opportunity to learn the language when they first arrived in the country, particularly those who had been asylum-seekers. For example, one initially received English classes through the British Red Cross and one through his local migrant centre. Similarly, another learnt English through speaking to various caseworkers at charities. In terms of education outside of the English language, one interviewee, who now has statelessness leave, had received formal education through a university or college. As an asylum-seeker in Wales, he was entitled to free education grants up to Level 3 and therefore was able to train in several different subjects during his nine years in the asylum system. He obtained his English GCSE35 and completed vocational courses such as exercise science and massage therapy. He explained that he spent most of his time moving between these courses until he was granted statelessness leave. Having received statelessness leave, he is currently studying healthcare science and hopes to become a cardiac physiologist. 17