Asylum and refugee support in the UK

The role of civil society in addressing gaps in welfare provision for asylum seekers and refugees

Key Messages:

  • Asylum seekers in the UK are excluded from the labour market and rely on welfare support, which is significantly below standard poverty thresholds. 
  • Civil society organisations, including charities and community groups, play a key role in providing essential support, filling gaps left by inadequate government provision. 
  • The current policy framework creates extreme poverty among asylum seekers, leading to breaches of fundamental human rights. 
  • The third sector response varies geographically, leading to disparities in support depending on location and available resources. 
  • Without structural policy changes, civil society will continue to carry a disproportionate burden in mitigating the effects of restrictive asylum policies.

Commentary:

This research highlights the structural inequities in the UK’s asylum and refugee support system, showing how restrictive policies create poverty and social exclusion. The inability of asylum seekers to work legally forces them into dependency on minimal welfare payments, which are set well below the standard poverty line. A key contribution of this study is its mapping of civil society responses to these gaps, illustrating how charities and local organisations provide critical support that the state does not. However, this reliance on third sector provision creates further inequities, as support availability depends on local capacity rather than consistent government policy.

The findings raise serious concerns about the human rights implications of current asylum policies. By creating conditions of extreme poverty, the system effectively limits access to adequate social care and basic services, leading to long-term social and health inequalities. While the research effectively critiques the gaps in state provision, further work is needed to explore the long-term sustainability of civil society-led support. Without systemic policy change, these organisations will continue to bear an increasing burden, further entrenching social care inequities for asylum seekers and refugees.