What are the key principles and challenges related to belonging, quality of life, and mental health for sanctuary seekers?
Workshop participants reflected that sanctuary seekers are forced to navigate an asylum system designed to be hostile, often facing divisive and harmful attitudes that severely impact their quality of life and mental health. They are frequently wrongfully blamed for taking what is perceived as 'rightfully belonging' to others, becoming scapegoats for wider societal issues. This rhetoric, participants noted, is laced with misinformation, racist tropes, and harmful stereotypes, further exacerbating the challenges sanctuary seekers face. Despite having to navigate these hostilities, it was acknowledged that sanctuary seekers make hugely valuable contributions to our society, often with support from community organisations, faith groups, educational institutions, and individuals.
While workshop participants agreed on the above, we also deliberated on three key principles:
- belonging
- quality of life
- mental health
We explored how these interconnected concepts shape the experiences and relationships of sanctuary seekers:
1.Belonging
Workshop participants considered to be closely linked to the idea of ‘home’ and other places that offer connection, safety, and stability. It involves recognising our shared humanity and the desire to be part of something meaningful, to feel accepted, and to have access to resources and opportunities. However, a sense of belonging is often undermined by anti-asylum narratives that dehumanise sanctuary seekers, often labelling them as a “swarm”, “invasion”, or “aliens.” These harmful stereotypes are spread through scapegoating and misleading claims, such as the idea that asylum seekers come to ‘take over homes, jobs, and school places.’ Such rhetoric fosters fear, division, and exclusion, making it harder for refugees and asylum seekers to feel they can belong.
2. Quality of life
Participants noted quality of life is mostly about having control over one’s life, stability, dignity, and respect, as well as the opportunity to contribute to the community. For many sanctuary seekers, arriving in a new place can feel dehumanising when they are treated with suspicion by the Home Office, are lacking basic human rights, and don’t have access to enough food, adequate and safe housing, and the ability to work.
A participant noted that the “Home Office [is] not treating the asylum community with the same human rights as everyone else”. As a result, sanctuary seekers are often made to feel isolated, frustrated, alienated, dehumanised, and fearful. To enhance quality of life, participants felt that the core message needs to be: “We are all human,” and should be treated as such.
3. Mental health
The mental health of sanctuary seekers was perceived to be shaped by how they experience their place in society. Participants noted that when people feel unsafe, unwelcome, or marginalised, it can have a significant negative impact on their mental health. Conversely, feeling valued, accepted, and part of a community, along with having access to essential services like healthcare and counselling, can greatly enhance people's mental well-being.
How can community action challenge anti-asylum narratives and improve sanctuary seekers’ sense of belonging?
Workshop participants considered various ways in which anti-asylum sentiments can be challenged through public services, community action, and individual initiatives. They agreed that public services can challenge anti-asylum sentiments by using inclusive language, clearly communicating refugees’ entitlements, and fostering community integration. Long-term planning, rather than reactive measures driven by crises such as those in Ukraine and Afghanistan, is essential. This, it was argued, requires effective collaboration across services, proper staff training, and the provision of accurate information will ensure that sanctuary seekers receive the support, respect, and rights they deserve.
A positive example of how community action has recently challenged anti-asylum sentiments was the response to the racist riots where people clearly took a stance saying “no, that’s not us, the extremist voices are not us.” Other positive examples that were highlighted were Boroughs of Sanctuary, part of the City of Sanctuary UK movement, which acknowledge a community's dedication to fostering a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, with a focus on supporting their rights and overall well-being.
Related supportive initiatives that participants found meaningful were:
- welcome and information hubs
- community action cards
- exhibitions and events
- training and capacity-strengthening initiatives
- opportunities to access further education through scholarships
- social media groups where sanctuary seekers can express their views anonymously without fear of reprisal
- transparent complaint systems if something goes wrong
However, participants wished communities came together more to amplify values of belonging in public spaces with greater visibility, engage in community resistance to anti-immigration policies and rhetorics, and campaigns to improve sanctuary seekers’ lives and wider community cohesion.
Participants also reflected on how individual action can counter anti-asylum narratives by emphasising the importance of speaking up in our personal circles and advocating for refugees within families or workplaces to foster positive, inclusive behaviours. Additionally, actions such as signing petitions, donating, and campaigning for asylum seekers' rights were seen as valuable in raising awareness, reshaping public perception, and challenging harmful stereotypes.