Resource

Evidence from research, survivors and Helen Bamber Foundation's clinical experience shows that the government's asylum reforms will not deter people seeking safety from coming to the UK but will instead significantly harm the mental health and social integration of those recognised as needing protection in this country. They will be left in a state of ongoing limbo and anxiety about being removed from the country, even once they have been recognised as refugees, and made to wait for over twenty years before they can settle here.

We conducted a small preliminary internal enquiry and spoke to 14 clients about their perspectives of research in general, experiences of research at the Helen Bamber Foundation, barriers to participation, and whether, or how they wanted to be more involved in the research. From this we shared our reflections on best-practice and a list of recommendations for engaging with survivors of trauma and human rights abuses in research.

The meagre financial support given to people seeking asylum is woefully inadequate to meet their basic needs. They are forced to live in poverty, which has a terrible impact on their mental health and impedes their recovery from trauma, torture and abuse. Free bus travel in London would go a long way to ensure they could live with independence and dignity.