A new report has revealed that a UK work ban is forcing 10% of female asylum seekers into sex work. The study, conducted by the charity Women for Refugee Women, highlights how extreme poverty is driving women into dangerous situations.
According to the report, nearly half of these women cannot afford basic sanitary products. Furthermore, around 80% of women surveyed lack money for essentials like clothing, transport, or phone credit. Notably, the key phrase female asylum seekers emerges repeatedly throughout the findings, underscoring the crisis they face.
The report, titled Safety and Survival: How the Work Ban Fuels Violence Against Women Seeking Asylum, surveyed 117 women from 33 countries. Women make up about a fifth of the adults seeking asylum in the UK. Moreover, at least two-thirds have experienced rape or gender-based violence in their home countries.
Despite ongoing calls for change, the government has resisted allowing asylum seekers to work after six months. Officials fear that doing so would create a “pull factor” attracting more people to the UK. However, about 98% of women interviewed said they want to work and contribute to society.
The report shares several heartbreaking personal stories. One woman explained she was left homeless, exploited, and forced into sex work to survive. Another woman, desperate to feed her lactose-intolerant baby, joined a dating site and was raped by a man she met there. Meanwhile, a third woman worked illegally as a domestic cleaner, earning only £1.50 per hour.
Currently, asylum support offers just £49.18 per week for shared housing or £8.86 for hotel stays. According to the research team, made up of seven women with personal experience in the asylum system, 85% of women reported anxiety or depression. Alarmingly, 43% said they felt suicidal.
The charity is now urging Labour to give people the right to work if they have waited six months for an asylum decision. Advocates argue that this change would help reduce exploitation and poverty among female asylum seekers.
Andrea Vukovic, co-director of Women for Refugee Women, stressed the urgency of reform. She said that when vulnerable women are pushed into poverty and barred from working, they are driven into unsafe and exploitative conditions.
The Home Office responded by stating it has no plans to change current work rules. A spokesperson added that the government remains committed to a fair, efficient, and sustainable asylum system. The department also works with partners to provide safeguarding information and access to support services.
As the crisis deepens, female asylum seekers remain among the most vulnerable groups in the UK. Without urgent action, many may continue facing abuse, exploitation, and unbearable poverty.
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