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Asylum seekers treated ‘in dehumanising way’ by UK host hotels

Thousands left with unacceptable living conditions as Home Office ceased evictions in pandemic, finds Refugee Council
Thousands of asylum seekers accommodated in hotels in England have been subjected to “dehumanising treatment” during the pandemic, the Refugee Council has warned.
The council revealed that one 14-year-old boy was sent to hospital after losing 3kg in body weight (just under 7lb) due to the poor quality of the food provided.
A report by the council highlights the “unacceptable and unsustainable” conditions in hotels, including the negative impact on mental health, the lack of clothing and footwear, poor quality of food and exposure to racist abuse, with some stays lasting more than a year.
In March 2020 the Home Office, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, paused evictions from accommodation for those who had received decisions about their asylum claims. It led to more people entering the asylum support system than exiting it. At the end of February roughly 8,700 asylum seekers were living in more than 90 hotels across the UK.
Asylum accommodation is provided through three contractors, each responsible for specific geographical regions of the UK.
The Refugee Council has supported more than 400 asylum seekers in hotels and the report was based on their testimony.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the council, said: “People who have fled war and persecution often arrive in the UK with just the clothes on their back, in urgent need of healthcare, nutritious food and other essentials such as toiletries.
“It’s appalling that they have had to suffer so much as a result of what to them feels like being abandoned in inappropriate accommodation with inadequate support for many weeks or months. The Home Office should have anticipated these basic needs and made sure they were provided for the children and adults in their care.”
Solomon said that to stop the dehumanising treatment the charity was calling “on ministers to promise that every person seeking asylum receives appropriate support, including access to healthcare, basic clothing and essential services”.
He added: “People seeking asylum should be able to live in dignity, rather than in conditions that worsen their health and wellbeing. As the Windrush Lessons Learned report stated, the Home Office must always see the ‘face behind the case’.”
The single mother of three children whose son, 14, had been admitted to hospital said the teenager was diagnosed with depression. He had lost weight since living at the hotel due to the poor quality of food supplied.
The charity says the food provided in many of the hotels is “a major cause of concern”. Food often arrives in small portions, with limited options available, the report says. The quality varies widely across sites, with some hotels providing little or no fruit.
The report says that long periods of time spent in hotels is affecting the mental health of asylum seekers. People have been self-harming, in crisis and contemplating suicide. The Home Office does not provide clothing for people seeking asylum, the charity says, so this can prohibit people from leaving the hotel for exercise or to access services.
It says people put up in hotels get little or no information about how to access primary health care. Not being registered with a GP is of particular concern, given that access to the Covid-19 vaccine depends on having an NHS number, which is generated through registration with GPs.
The report also highlights racist harassment of asylum seekers in hotels by anti-migrant groups who have tracked them down. There had been several incidents of people entering the hotels and harassing and verbally abusing people seeking asylum, sometimes while filming these activities and sharing them on the internet.
A Refugee Council staff member witnessed a hotel worker shouting racist abuse at residents, the report said.
In addition, families with school-age children living in hotels often have not been supported or encouraged to seek enrolment at schools, leaving many children unable to get formal education
The majority of people living in hotels are accommodated on a full board basis so have no access to cash, making it impossible for them buy or replace essential items. It took until the end of October 2020 for the Home Office to agree on a cash payment of £8 a week for some of the people living for extended periods in full-board accommodation.
Before the pandemic, use of asylum accommodation was reasonably static with about 50,000 people at any one time, but at the end of 2020 the total number supported was 64,041.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “As part of our New Plan for Immigration, the use of hotels to accommodate new arrivals will end and we plan to introduce new asylum reception centres. The use of hotels to temporarily accommodate people was necessary to help safely manage demands on the asylum estate during the pandemic.
“Asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are provided with accommodation, a choice of three meals a day in line with NHS nutrition guidelines, as well as access to fresh fruit and drinking water, and we work closely with our providers and local charities to provide other basics.”
source: Jamie Grierson
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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