Death of Mercy Baguma calls for Changes

Mercy had recently become jobless - in the midst of Positive Action, confiding in them that she didn’t “have eradicate needless hurdles and such scant support for comes as no surprise given the restrictions and delays Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition which w

THE DEATH OF MERCY BAGUMA CALLS FOR RADICAL CHANGES TO THE UK’S ASYLUM SYSTEM By Holly Barrow

On 22nd August, Mercy Baguma, a 34 year old asylum A report carried out in 2017 by Refugee Action seeker, was found dead in her flat in Glasgow with her found that, despite the Home Office having a duty to malnourished baby son crying next to her. While the ensure that those who require support while waiting cause of Mercy’s death is currently under investigation on a decision for their asylum claim do not fall into - with no confirmation as of yet that this was due to destitution and homelessness, many who seek support starvation - the harrowing circumstances surrounding from the charity are living on the street or haven’t this tragedy have sparked renewed pressure to eaten properly for weeks. Barriers to accessing asylum end a key component of the government’s hostile support play a significant role in this, with many environment policy - the No Recourse to Public Funds wrongly denied assistance or being made to wait (NRPF) condition. unnecessarily long periods of time before receiving the Covid-19 pandemic - after her leave to remain in The charity found that less than half of applications the UK expired. She was reportedly undergoing the for emergency support that they assisted with process of claiming asylum however asylum seekers in were granted on initial application - however, after the UK are unable to undertake paid work while their appealing these refusals, 92% were granted, often claim is being processed and must rely on a meagre with no change in the applicant’s material situation. weekly allowance of £37.75. This payment is intended This demonstrates quite how frequently those who are to cover all daily essentials - from food to toiletries and actually eligible for support are initially refused until clothing. As a result, Mercy is believed to have been challenged: what happens to those who are unaware living in extreme poverty in the weeks leading up to that they can challenge such refusals or who cannot her death and had sought help from Scottish charity access legal support? enough money to look after herself or her child”. To add insult to injury, leading politicians seem entirely She had similarly received the support of African own policies. In May, Prime Minister Boris Johnson Challenge Scotland in July, as the organisation made clear just how little he truly understands his published a video via their social media of Mercy government’s No Recourse to Public Funds condition, gratefully accepting a much-needed food parcel. While after insisting during a committee meeting that it has not yet been confirmed that the cause of Mercy’s ‘people who have worked hard for this country and death was due to her destitute circumstances, her tragic who live and work here should have support of one case speaks to an urgent need for the government to kind or another’. those seeking asylum. He was corrected by Labour MP Stephen Timms who The UK’s asylum system has long provoked criticism have been granted leave to remain in the UK are subjected and calls for change from immigration lawyers, to the NRPF condition, preventing them from accessing migrant charities and campaigners alike. Destitution key financial support both in normal circumstances and among asylum seekers is rife and this devastatingly throughout the duration of the pandemic. often endured by these individuals throughout the This same level of ignorance was only further displayed asylum process. by the Minister for Work and Pensions, Therese Coffey, Countless reports published by researchers, think- Burley following Mercy Baguma’s death. Despite being tanks and organisations have demonstrated a explicitly encouraged to offer her condolences and desperate need for reforms to the asylum system, sympathise with Mercy’s tragic case, Coffey repeatedly with so many vulnerable individuals falling through insisted that ‘there are ways’ for those in circumstances the cracks. This is largely as a result of the No such as Mercy’s to ‘access that help.’ financial support. unaware of the far-reaching repercussions of their informed him that, as a matter of fact, thousands of those who in an interview with SkyNews commentator Kay prohibits asylum seekers from accessing statutory Only, this demonstrably isn’t the case. The government homelessness assistance and most welfare benefits, assistance referred to by Coffey is that which is including Universal Credit and child tax credits, as referenced within Refugee Action’s 2017 research, well as presenting significant barriers when it comes which found that applications for emergency (section to accessing free healthcare and housing. 98) support were incorrectly refused on a regular basis.

To suggest that those in destitute circumstances will receive urgent support simply upon completing an application is wilfully misleading.

Such rhetoric feeds into the widespread misconception that asylum seekers in the UK somehow have an easy ride, with far-right groups such as Britain First recently storming hotels which are temporarily housing refugees awaiting permanent accommodation during the pandemic. The misrepresentation of asylum support by leading politicians inevitably contributes to the myth that those seeking asylum are provided with an abundance of assistance and need only complete an application form in order to receive this.

The reality, however, paints a different picture, with asylum seekers going months with non-payment of funds, facing barriers to health care, housing and employment, and having no entitlement to benefits.

How can we expect the public to recognise the fundamental inhumanity at the core of the asylum system when the Prime Minister himself demonstrates a critical lack of awareness towards the difficulties faced by migrants and asylum seekers in the UK and the Minister of the Department for Work and Pensions refuses to acknowledge that delays and unnecessary refusals of assistance sees many asylum seekers plunged into destitution?

This misinformed narrative must end and measures must be taken to ensure that asylum seekers are provided with the urgent support they so desperately require.

Holly Barrow is a political correspondent for the Immigration Advice Service; a leading immigration law firm which provides free legal advice to those seeking asylum