On hold, the lived experiences of asylum seekers in Hounslow’s contingency hotels

The London borough of Hounslow’s report, On Hold, the lived experiences of Asylum Seekers in Hounslow’s contingency hotels focuses on the met and unmet physical and mental health and wellbeing needs of people who are being housed in the borough’s hotels as they await a decision about their asylum claim.

Hounslow has the second largest number of people seeking asylum living in hotels of any local authority in the country.

The Council’s Public Health Team recognised that this is a very vulnerable group of people and their health and wellbeing was an increasing public health concern, both for those people seeking asylum who live in these conditions and for those health and care professionals who support them.

The report’s key findings highlight growing disparities in health outcomes, the challenging conditions that asylum seekers living in hotels face, and the impact this has both on their mental and physical health and the strain this places on local services.

The report makes 15 recommendations aimed at the UK Government, the Home Office and our local partners.

Hounslow is asking the Government and the Home Office to work with local authorities as equal partners in supporting asylum seekers living in hotels.

Hounslow is also asking the Government to recognise that supporting asylum seekers, especially in local areas with high numbers of people living in hotels requires adequate resources and aligned funding commensurate with need.