Asylum Welcome’s outreach transformed my life

I arrived in the UK as an asylum seeker in January 2024. Like so many others I was placed in what the media call an “asylum hotel”, but the reality is very different from what people might imagine.

I had no money, and nowhere to prepare food. I feared for the safety of my wife and daughters every day, and I had no idea when or if my asylum claim would be approved.  The noise and lack of privacy in my shared room only worsened my already sleepless nights. I felt an overwhelming lack of control over my life.

During this deeply painful time, I encountered a caring Outreach worker from Asylum Welcome’s outreach team, and several months later, with their support, I was granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK on humanitarian grounds. Throughout this time, Asylum Welcome was truly the difference between despair and hope.

Hira’s art class: A light in the dark

Hira fled brutal religious persecution in Pakistan after the deaths of her parents and brother.

In her asylum hotel in Banbury she struggled with the lack of privacy, and often found the food inedible. She was forced to share a small space with people who didn’t speak a common language, or who were too traumatised to open up. Living with very little money, leaving the hotel was not only intimidating, but logistically difficult and expensive.

But Hira had an idea – to start informal art classes for people staying in the hotel, with modest financial support from Asylum Welcome. Art had always been a refuge for her, and she felt that it could help heal others in the hotel too.

It was a resounding success. People bonded through the workshops and felt more at ease to share their stories. One woman opened up about fleeing the brutality of the Taliban. A man, who had been unable to talk or engage with others gradually found his voice. Children were able to play together, and experience normality for the first time in months.

Asylum Welcome was an incredible support to me during what was the most traumatic time in my life. But Hira’s and my experiences of the hotels are far from unique. Research shows that asylum seekers and refugees in ‘asylum hotels’ have poorer mental health, more sleep problems, greater isolation, and feel less safe than those in other types of accommodation.

Asylum Welcome’s outreach team visits the hotels regularly, reaching out to anyone feeling anxious, isolated, and far from home. They offer practical support, a friendly face, and crucially, legal advice. Some of our clients have been living in the same hotel for years, waiting for a decision on their asylum claims. They have no right to work, forcing them to live on just £8.86 per week, enduring deep boredom, anxiety, and loneliness.

The Outreach service seeks to ensure that those still in limbo, many having already survived unimaginable trauma, can live as comfortably as possible while they wait: providing essentials such as coats and shoes, helping people contact loved ones back home, giving legal advice and emotional support, and restoring dignity to those who have already lost so much.

Last year, we supported more asylum seekers than ever before; this would not have been possible without remarkable supporters like you. My life today – one of stability, purpose and hope – exists because of that kindness. Without it, I’m not sure where I would be

Help us continue this amazing work. In a difficult economic landscape and with the government trying hard to reduce its spending, Asylum Welcome is struggling to raise funds to support those stuck in the asylum system.

Please donate today and help more people like me rebuild their lives.

With heartfelt thanks,

Mohamed
Asylum Welcome office manager

Read our spring 2025 newsletter