“They just left me”: people seeking asylum, mental and physical health, and structural violence in the UK’s institutional accommodation
This paper presents the findings of a novel post-hoc analysis of data collected by Doctors of the World UK (DOTW UK) between 2020 and 2022 from people seeking asylum housed in repurposed hotels and barracks in England. We analyzed qualitative and quantitative data on individuals’ mental and physical...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1454548/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850249509708234752 |
|---|---|
| author | Jenny Phillimore Lin Fu Lucy Jones Laurence Lessard-Phillips Briony Tatem |
| author_facet | Jenny Phillimore Lin Fu Lucy Jones Laurence Lessard-Phillips Briony Tatem |
| author_sort | Jenny Phillimore |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper presents the findings of a novel post-hoc analysis of data collected by Doctors of the World UK (DOTW UK) between 2020 and 2022 from people seeking asylum housed in repurposed hotels and barracks in England. We analyzed qualitative and quantitative data on individuals’ mental and physical health using a structural violence analytical framework. Institutional housing and associated poor living conditions were reported to contribute deteriorations in physical and mental health which collectively undermined wellbeing. Inactions around urgent and life-threatening health conditions were seen as placing individuals’ lives and long-term health at risk. Provision of housing does not currently meet people’s needs and actively undermines their mental and physical health. We conclude that approaches to accommodation provision need to be adapted to ensure individuals’ right to health is realized. We outline recommendations for policy and future research. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e02be7feb2ce4e0a8ab2a19c9e13e380 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-e02be7feb2ce4e0a8ab2a19c9e13e3802025-08-20T01:58:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-03-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.14545481454548“They just left me”: people seeking asylum, mental and physical health, and structural violence in the UK’s institutional accommodationJenny Phillimore0Lin Fu1Lucy Jones2Laurence Lessard-Phillips3Briony Tatem4Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomInstitute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomDoctors of the World UK, London, United KingdomDepartment of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomDoctors of the World UK, London, United KingdomThis paper presents the findings of a novel post-hoc analysis of data collected by Doctors of the World UK (DOTW UK) between 2020 and 2022 from people seeking asylum housed in repurposed hotels and barracks in England. We analyzed qualitative and quantitative data on individuals’ mental and physical health using a structural violence analytical framework. Institutional housing and associated poor living conditions were reported to contribute deteriorations in physical and mental health which collectively undermined wellbeing. Inactions around urgent and life-threatening health conditions were seen as placing individuals’ lives and long-term health at risk. Provision of housing does not currently meet people’s needs and actively undermines their mental and physical health. We conclude that approaches to accommodation provision need to be adapted to ensure individuals’ right to health is realized. We outline recommendations for policy and future research.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1454548/fullinstitutional accommodationpeople seeking asylumstructural violencemental healthaccess to healthcare |
| spellingShingle | Jenny Phillimore Lin Fu Lucy Jones Laurence Lessard-Phillips Briony Tatem “They just left me”: people seeking asylum, mental and physical health, and structural violence in the UK’s institutional accommodation Frontiers in Public Health institutional accommodation people seeking asylum structural violence mental health access to healthcare |
| title | “They just left me”: people seeking asylum, mental and physical health, and structural violence in the UK’s institutional accommodation |
| title_full | “They just left me”: people seeking asylum, mental and physical health, and structural violence in the UK’s institutional accommodation |
| title_fullStr | “They just left me”: people seeking asylum, mental and physical health, and structural violence in the UK’s institutional accommodation |
| title_full_unstemmed | “They just left me”: people seeking asylum, mental and physical health, and structural violence in the UK’s institutional accommodation |
| title_short | “They just left me”: people seeking asylum, mental and physical health, and structural violence in the UK’s institutional accommodation |
| title_sort | they just left me people seeking asylum mental and physical health and structural violence in the uk s institutional accommodation |
| topic | institutional accommodation people seeking asylum structural violence mental health access to healthcare |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1454548/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jennyphillimore theyjustleftmepeopleseekingasylummentalandphysicalhealthandstructuralviolenceintheuksinstitutionalaccommodation AT linfu theyjustleftmepeopleseekingasylummentalandphysicalhealthandstructuralviolenceintheuksinstitutionalaccommodation AT lucyjones theyjustleftmepeopleseekingasylummentalandphysicalhealthandstructuralviolenceintheuksinstitutionalaccommodation AT laurencelessardphillips theyjustleftmepeopleseekingasylummentalandphysicalhealthandstructuralviolenceintheuksinstitutionalaccommodation AT brionytatem theyjustleftmepeopleseekingasylummentalandphysicalhealthandstructuralviolenceintheuksinstitutionalaccommodation |