Women, men and children seeking sanctuary should not be left in overcrowded hotels for months on end. The answer is not more political theatre or warehousing people on disused military bases. We urgently need practical solutions that provide safe, dignified housing within local communities.
At JRS UK we know from our experience at Napier Barracks that placing people in these military sites causes real harm. It retraumatises those who have already fled conflict, isolates them from community support, and creates enormous barriers to basic services like education or healthcare. This approach has consistently failed and needs to end now.
I was in Napier Barracks for more than 2 months. I waited for a decision on my asylum claim for almost a year and a half. I am now looking back at what I have been through and think how traumatising that experience was. The whole asylum process was traumatising, and Napier Barracks was emblematic of that. Even though I got out of that system, started working as a professional and have built my life, I still carry the pain, fear, and trauma I experienced.
Erfan, Napier Barracks: the inhumane reality
