Let's talk about women with no recourse to public funds
Original image by Daniel Schludi
When Universal Basic Income is realised in the UK, our movement may have to reconcile with the fact that the universality we champion is only universal to some of the animals on the farm. Recently, I mused of how a Universal Basic Income could be the get out of poverty card for everybody - until I stopped myself when I thought of women seeking asylum.
The pandemic has shown how people living within our borders with “no recourse to public funds” (NRPF) were missed out of the safety nets implemented by the government. People whose visa conditions are subject to NRPF fall under varied categories which can range from expatriates and their spouses to asylum seekers and international students, overstayers or those living as adult dependents of a person with settled status in the UK. This list is non exhaustive.
In June it was reported that over 1 million of these were unable to access government support and relied on the mercy of the other people, or charities. This is in spite of a judgement that was handed down in May for the Home Office to broaden the range of people who were entitled to the lifting of the NRPF condition. The report further mentions that the majority of those impacted by this ongoing issue are Black, Asian or other minoritised populations, and that numbers of those seeking help doubled. The burden of support for those who have been flung into deeper financial insecurity and destitution due to their immigration status, is being borne by these same communities.
My current concern lies with the status of women seeking asylum. I know of many who would tell you that a hand-to-mouth existence is far more than they would hope for during this pandemic, and that prior to the coronavirus, 3 meals a day for their households was already a luxury. Extreme poverty is the baseline for these women and their families, in a country whose economy ranks between 6th and 7th in the world. The pandemic has only exposed further how women who have come to seek safety are forced into destitution and fall into a vicious cycle of poverty along with their children when their claim is refused. As witnessed over the last few months, local groups and charities which traditionally support people seeking asylum were forced to close during lockdown, with the few that continued running unable to meet the growing need. There was practically little to no support for these women with many struggling to meet their most essential needs.
For context, until a decision is made on their claim for refugee status and all appeal options are exhausted, asylum-seekers have legal status. We all share a legal right to claim asylum. Apart from not being allowed to work, asylum-seekers cannot access public funds as they wait for a decision on their case.
Original image by Katie Moum
A Universal Basic Income for asylum-seekers seems like the closest possibility of tackling this level of inequality for people who are resident here in the same way that citizens would benefit. Apart from helping to stimulate the economy, a UBI would also help to reduce the challenges of social and economic exclusion, poor mental health and women’s vulnerability to exploitation which are all exacerbated by the asylum-process.
The hostile environment policy combined with the toxicity in the narrative on immigration inhibits many who either have a lived experience or those who work in proximity to it, from highlighting the scourge.
The UBI movement can be an ally to asylum-seeking women and ensure that they are no longer missed out. We have a challenge to actually stop the abnormal from being normalised. Poverty on the basis of your immigration status in a country like ours is abnormal and counter-intuitive.
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More about the author
Tchiyiwe Thandiwe Chihana - @AfriWoman
Sheffield, UK
Tchiyiwe is a Gender & International Development specialist and has worked extensively in the UK refugee sector. Co-founder of @UBILabWomen.