ICAR

Support and Destitution

Determining the level of support provided to asylum seekers is a difficult balancing act for any government and a contentious political issue. It has also proved a legislative challenge to effectively administer a system of asylum support. 

This briefing, wrote by ICAR to assist the work of the Independent Asylum Commission (IAC), examines the procedure and provision of support available for the duration of an asylum claim. It also discusses issues emerging as a consequence of the support system such eligibility, quality of accommodation and the impact of dispersal on the capacity of asylum seekers to support themselves. The role of informal networks and social capital is examined, as well as the issue of destitution as a consequence and a combination of legislative decisions and procedural limitations generating large numbers of individuals with no access to support in the UK.

Last Updated: 26/01/10

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