Women for Refugee Women and their regional partners have published a report exploring the experiences of 106 destitute asylum-seeking women who have struggled to survive in the UK. The report found that 32 of these 106 women said they were raped or sexually abused in their country of origin and again when destitute in the UK. Almost half were street homeless while destitute in the UK, and 25% said they were raped or experienced sexual violence while sleeping outside. The women interviewed included those who were made destitute after their asylum claim was refused and others who became destitute after getting leave to remain, due to the challenges of moving on to mainstream benefits.

The report recommends steps to end the destitution for all asylum-seeking women, including improving access to asylum support; granting people the right to work after six months of waiting on an initial decision; extending the move-on period; and ensuring end-to-end support for those in the UK. 

You can access the full report on the Women for Refugee Women website here.