This Refugee Week, we’re reflecting on the theme of “Community as a Superpower”. At the Mental Health Foundation, we know that community is more than just a collection of people. It provides a feeling of belonging, of being welcomed, supported and understood. For many refugees and asylum seekers who have been forced to flee their homes, families and communities, rebuilding this sense of belonging is crucial for their wellbeing and success in their country of sanctuary.
In this blog, we’ll explore the ways in which refugees and asylum seekers struggle to access community along with potential policy solutions which can aid in their integration into communities across the UK.
What does community mean?
A “community” is a group of people brought together through something they share in common. This might be based on geographic location or we might connect with people based on shared interests or values, whether that’s at school or work, through a faith group, at a club where you enjoy a hobby, or through online groups or an activist network.
At its core, a healthy community can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and a sense of purpose. People who are more socially connected are happier, physically healthier, and live longer, with fewer mental health problems.
But while a lot of us may be fortunate enough to be a part of a community or even various communities, many refugees and asylum seekers are often starting again from scratch - arriving in unfamiliar towns, facing isolation, and navigating systems that can feel impersonal or even hostile. For them, community is vital lifeline.
Barriers in accessing community for refugees and asylum seekers
Fleeing one's home country is a decision which no one makes lightly and is often a last resort. Many asylum seekers and refugees are forced by violence, persecution, or war to be uprooted from their communities and social networks - circumstances that leave lasting scars, both physically and mentally.
While seeking sanctuary in a safe country like the UK can mark the beginning of a fresh start, the reality is far from simple. The journey is fraught with uncertainty - awaiting Home Office decisions, coping with frequent relocations, the threat of detention or deportation, financial struggles with no right to work, and experiences of racism and discrimination.
All of these factors compound the mental health challenges faced by asylum seekers, making it harder for them to heal from past trauma, connect with others and integrate into new communities.
Loneliness
A survey of refugees in London found that 58% of those interviewed identified loneliness as their biggest challenge when attempting to settle into a new country.
Loneliness has been widely evidenced as being linked to poorer mental health, including depression and suicidal thoughts. That’s why meaningful social contact and community engagement is so essential.
One method of achieving this is through peer support interventions which have been effective in reducing feelings of loneliness. Peer support groups for asylum seekers and refugees allow individuals to meet others in their communities in a similar situation, and this increased social support has been linked with enhanced wellbeing. Our Perthyn community programme in Wales trained women with experience of seeking asylum to lead peer support groups focused on emotional literacy, new friendships, reducing isolation. Participants reported feeling a stronger sense of belonging and less loneliness. Wider research has also found that peer interventions for asylum seekers and refugees can aid community integration and improve access to community resources, as well as offering benefits in emotional support.
But these connections can’t thrive without additional structural changes throughout the asylum system.
A place to call home
A stable home is an important foundation for safety, connection and community building. But for many asylum seekers, this is far out of reach. For them, it is common to spend months or even years in hotel accommodation, often with poor living conditions and cut off from local communities. It is almost inevitable that mental health problems are more likely to arise as a result.
One study found through analysis of clinical data from 110 participants, higher levels of mental health difficulties for people seeking asylum living in hotels compared to those living in alternative housing. Many asylum seekers reported feeling a lack of safety and autonomy, social isolation and feelings of imprisonment.
Housing instability is also a huge issue that has uprooted many asylum seekers from the few social connections they were able to initially make. Many asylum seekers are moved multiple times between different types of accommodation across the country with no choice over where they can be sent.
The negative mental health outcomes of such instability in accommodation have been widely recorded with one study finding that asylum seekers reported that the constant movement between regions of the UK was one of the biggest barriers to feeling settled and part of a community. These barriers not only increase the feelings of isolation and anxiety that individuals may already feel as they wait for their asylum applications to be processed, but also impede integration efforts as a whole.
Ultimately, if community is about roots, then housing instability keeps pulling those roots up before they can even take hold.
The right to work and the power of purpose
Being unable work does not only mean financial hardship – it also removes a sense of purpose and confidence to connect with others.
Asylum seekers in the UK can only apply for permission to work after 12 months and even then jobs are limited to a narrow list of skilled roles. This forced unemployment increases experiences of loneliness, financial strain, and loss of self-esteem. All these aspects further limit one’s ability to engage in social contact. Granting asylum seekers the right to work would enhance their wellbeing, restore dignity and strengthen their chances of integrating into their new communities.
Volunteering also offers asylum seekers and refugees an opportunity to contribute to their local community, build confidence and feel more connected. Research has shown that it can support skills development, improve wellbeing and encourage feelings of social inclusion. Our Young Leaders have also shared how volunteering has benefited them:
I would feel that I’m alive and happy when I am volunteering and helping others.
Having something to do on a daily basis gives you something to wake up for and has been so important for improving my mental health.
Additional barriers to social connection
- Taking part in community life - whether that’s through attending places of worship, sport, meeting friends - often depends on being able to get around. Difficulties in affording public transport can limit such social opportunities. Asylum seekers and refugees in Wales told us that opportunities to be involved in the local community, such as participating in sport, attending places of worship, and volunteering, positively supported their wellbeing. Improving access to public transport would therefore create more opportunities for meaningful social connection.
- Being able to speak and understand English is essential for connection and integration. Without it, people struggle to make friends, find work, and access services like healthcare or legal support. The inability to speak English is one of the many reasons for feelings of loneliness and isolation amongst asylum seekers and refugees. Improving access to language classes is key to breaking this vicious cycle.
Policy recommendations
Recognising these various challenges, the Mental Health Foundation has developed several policy recommendations on what needs to change in order to help refugees and asylum seekers with their integration into their local communities throughout the UK.
- Asylum seekers should be housed in community-based accommodation. The Home Office must ensure that asylum seekers housed in asylum accommodation have access to free and accessible community spaces to build their social connections.
- The Home Office should automatically grant people the right to work if they have been waiting for longer than six months for a decision on their claim.
- The UK government should encourage devolved administrations and Metro Mayors in England with delegated transport policy powers to provide free bus travel to all asylum seekers and/or improve access to existing concessionary schemes. This will help greatly in combatting social isolation and increase real engagement with local communities.
- The UK government and devolved administrations should invest in peer support programmes and community initiatives for asylum seekers and refugees.
- The UK government and devolved administrations should increase support for asylum seekers and refugees to access tailored English language classes.
Asylum seeker and refugee mental health report
Our report on the mental health of refugees and asylum seekers outlines the barriers to employment, difficulties accessing services, experience cultural differences, and discrimination and stigma connected to being a migrant and/or their other characteristics.
Read our reportThe journey to safety: the struggles of LGBT+ asylum seekers and refugees
This LGBT History Month, as we reflect on the theme of Activism and Social Change, it’s important to recognise the experiences of LGBT+ asylum seekers and refugees, and the work being done to create a more humane and inclusive asylum system.
Mental health resources for asylum seekers and refugees
Visit our free resources for people working with asylum seekers and refugees to support their mental health and wellbeing.