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Can’t Stay. Can’t Go. Refused asylum seekers who cannot be returned
I don’t really see it come up very often. (Red
Cross staff member, Leeds)
Provide legal aid for Stateless applications
Two staff members felt there is a need for legal aid
for Stateless applications.
Provide advice around AVR
The staff member in Leeds stressed that, since
the Home Office has taken the AVR programme in
house again, there is no longer impartial advice on
AVR. Such advice is invaluable.
Make people feel valued
The staff member in Teesside felt there is a need to
“make these people feel valued – people want to
feel like they’re doing something worthwhile”. She
felt this could be achieved in a number of ways,
including providing volunteering opportunities,
having better access to structured English and
maths classes on a long-term basis, and having
access to a sewing machine to make things for
their children.
Recognise mental health issues
One of the staff members in Glasgow (Glasgow
1) called for greater awareness and recognition
of mental health issues in this group, particularly
relating to trauma.
Consider the length of time people have been
in the UK
A number of our participants have been in the
UK for more than ten years. The staff member in
Leicester felt this needs to be considered:
3.17 Closing comments
Closing comments from our participants related
mostly to the need for better understanding of the
level of suffering experienced by refused asylum
seekers who cannot be returned.
I think there should be a greater understanding
of the levels of suffering that people do
experience as a result of destitution, and taking
that into account and what is humane to put
people through. (Red Cross staff member,
Glasgow 1)
Kasim (Iraq) would like the Home Office to walk a
mile in his shoes:
If government come and stay with some
asylum seeker, homeless people, no have
food, no eat, no have clothes, no have place
for live, no have anything, live in the street.
After, he’d understand how it is very difficult
for you…. After, he understand what happen.
But, you know, Home Office have this nice
life. He sleep in that condition, have nice car,
have nice money – he no care about me. But
if he one day, two day, come to feel sleeping
in outside park, or sleep in the street, and no
food. After he understand how this is hard life.
And if he sees people in this situation, without
family, without country, without everything; if he
understand this life, people, why people leave
their country and come here, then he will have
to think about people. (Kasim, Iraq)
Walid (Algeria) concluded:
If you have come here ten years ago, it’s not
really reasonable for them to be removed and
sent back to a country where maybe they’ve
not spent loads of time, and they’ve got no
connection there. (Red Cross staff member,
Leicester)
I don’t want to be rich, big money, nice house,
nice life. No, I don’t want to be rich or nice life.
I need just a normal life. (Walid, Algeria)
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