Handling the human cost of the asylum hotel crackdown

Tens of thousands of refugees could face homelessness this winter as frontline workers speak of being forced into 'crisis response mode' by the Home Office.

- Bryony Gooch

Less than a week after becoming street homeless, an Ethiopian refugee came to the Refugee Council when her latent tuberculosis was at risk of becoming active. Just 28 days after receiving her refugee status, she was forced to sleep in a tent in south London after she was evicted from an asylum hotel in the last week of September.

Like many refugees left street homeless, she experienced a constant sense of danger and struggled to sleep. But even when she was finally able to find housing, she was faced with a difficult decision. Unable to afford food, she would experience burning sensations in her stomach as a side effect; twice a week, she commuted to hospital, where personnel gave her controlled doses of the medication. The inconsistent nature of homelessness increased the risk of her tuberculosis becoming infectious.

"It became uncontrolled because her homelessness didn't allow her to regulate her medication," says Hillary Kent, a destitution casework coordinator for Refugee Council. "The only housing that was available after two months homeless was all the way in far west London," she adds.

The refugee had found a sense of community at the local church near where she was sleeping rough in south London. "The choice became about whether you give up your community to seek a safe, stable home." Ms Kent says. "She cried on the phone and said, 'I don't know how I choose.'" Frontline workers like Ms Kent have warned The Independent that refugees face homelessness and destitution this winter as the Home Office has paused a 56-day move-on pilot. Charities like Crisis have said they are being “forced into crisis response mode” as frontline staff print rough sleeping guides in multiple languages and offer tents to refugees.