Dear Secretary of State and Minister,
We are writing jointly on behalf of Just Fair and Human Rights Watch to urge you to address the deeply concerning, ongoing treatment of people seeking asylum in the UK.
The UK Government’s new immigration White Paper signals a tougher stance on migration — but missing from this is a commitment to the basic rights and dignity of people seeking asylum. In 2023, our organisations conducted joint research into the living conditions faced by those in asylum accommodation under the previous government. We found a pattern of systemic neglect and harm: families forced to live for extended periods in unsafe, overcrowded, and unsuitable conditions, often with inadequate food and little to no access to healthcare, education, or support services.
Although the report (“I Felt So Stuck” Inadequate Housing and Social Support for Families Seeking Asylum in the United Kingdom”) was published under the last government, its findings remain painfully relevant today as many of the structural failures we documented persist.
Further, we are particularly alarmed by recent public statements by political figures and local officials suggesting a blanket refusal to accommodate people seeking asylum in certain council areas. Proposals to exclude those fleeing persecution from basic shelter and community support - often under the guise of local autonomy or budget constraints - risk normalising a politics of exclusion that undermines core human rights obligations. These developments are incompatible with the UK’s human rights obligations.
These concerns were echoed in the recent concluding observations of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), which urged the UK to take immediate steps to bring its asylum policies in line with international human rights standards. The Committee highlighted inadequate reception conditions, the lack of access to healthcare and education for asylum-seeking children, and the negative impact of prolonged stays in institutional settings.
Specifically, it recommended that the UK Government should:
- Ensure safe, healthy and adequate living conditions for migrants and asylum-seekers in temporary and dispersed accommodation, including, in particular, by ending the use of hotel accommodation for unaccompanied children and by improving oversight and enforcement mechanisms to prevent exploitation and discrimination by landlords in access to housing, including for refugees; and
- Review and repeal any laws that discriminate against migrant groups or limit access to rights for asylum-seekers, refugees, migrants and stateless persons, ensuring full compliance with Covenant provisions;
We urge the Government to match its stated commitments to restore order and fairness in the asylum system with a genuine commitment to dignity and human rights. It is also time to remove the restrictions on working, something which would allow thousands of people to contribute to the economy, support themselves, and reduce reliance on the state.
We believe this moment calls for strong and principled leadership to counteract a rising tide of hostility - and to ensure that asylum policy is firmly grounded in the UK’s international human rights obligations.
We also urge you to condemn and resist efforts by local or national actors to exclude people seeking asylum from council areas, and instead work with local authorities to expand capacity, with a focus on equity and inclusion. There is a growing appetite in some quarters to stoke division and resentment, at the expense of marginalised communities. It is vital that this Government draws a clear line: Britain must not turn its back on its responsibilities, nor allow the erosion of basic compassion and legal protection.
We would welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss these issues further.
Yours sincerely,
Jess McQuail
Director,
Just Fair
Yasmine Ahmed
UK Director,
Human Rights Watch
