EVIDENCE from the six months' use of Penally Camp to house asylum seekers is amongst that spurring on the UK's leading crisis response charity to call for or an immediate end to the use of military barracks for such purposes.

The call by the British Red Cross comes as a new report shows too many asylum-seeking women, men and children in the UK are living in unsafe, unsanitary and isolated accommodation falling far short of expected standards, for months and even years at a time.

Far from a Home, a rapid review published today, Tuesday April 27, by the British Red Cross, finds some of these issues have been compounded by mounting backlogs in asylum application decisions in recent years, the failure to secure enough community dispersal accommodation and more recently, the Covid-19 pandemic increasing demand for housing.

The Red Cross is concerned that the UK Government’s recently announced plans for reform of the asylum system – set out in the New Plan for Immigration – will fail to address these issues. It is particularly alarmed by proposals to create a two-tier system which would see the majority of the current cohort of asylum seekers1 held in reception centres, potentially for many months as they await decisions on their applications.

The former barracks at Penally closed at the end of March following months of use as a reception centre and was described by independent inspectors as “run-down and unsuitable”.

While living there, residents complained of not feeling safe on the site, of not being listened to when they raised concerns, and of a range of health issues and delays in accessing healthcare.

Alongside providing more safe and legal routes for people to reach the UK, and reducing delays in asylum decision making, the British Red Cross argues that providing clean, safe, community-based accommodation for people seeking asylum should be a priority within any reform of the system.

Mike Adamson, chief executive at British Red Cross, said:

“We are very concerned about the living conditions asylum seekers are facing as they wait months for their application to be processed. We have heard from people without basic items like clean clothing, staying in rooms in disrepair, or with serious medical needs that have been ignored.

“We believe that people who have experienced some of the worst horror imaginable – fleeing war, persecution and violence – should be able to expect a safe, clean place of refuge when they arrive in the UK.

“We agree with the UK Government that the asylum system needs reform.

"But we have major concerns about the proposal to effectively create an unfair two-tier system, which would see anyone who arrives via another country being held in a reception centre, likely behind high fences, potentially for months and months.

“Alongside providing more safe and legal routes for people to reach the UK, forthcoming reform of the system needs to see the Home Office working with local authorities, devolved governments and charities, to increase community housing for people seeking refuge here.

"The UK Government also urgently needs to address and work through the immense backlog of cases, so pressures on the system are reduced.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a fair and effective approach to asylum, in line with British values of kindness and compassion.”