Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

9.15
9.16
9.17
biased views towards LGB&T people. 32 (See Appendix: 9 for more information)
Childcare during the asylum process
Childcare provision is referred to in the Goverment’s report (para 116) but is not referred to in
asylum seekers’ invitation to interview letter, despite the UKBA being notified of this omission
in June 2011. 33 Provision varies across the different regions of the UK and in some areas there is
evidence of no provision.
Case study:
“In Liverpool there’s an interview room with a glass partition and on the other side of the
partition is a television showing cartoons that children can watch. One woman who used
the ‘childcare facility’ said the older one was happy to watch the cartoon in the corner of
the room but the younger two kept coming over to her. One of them sat on her knee crying
throughout [her asylum interview].”
Denise McDowell, Director, Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit
Health of women with an insecure immigration status
Migrant, refugee and asylum seeking women face barriers to accessing healthcare services and
experience poor health outcomes. Research shows that asylum seeking women in the UK have
complex health needs. 34 For example, mental illness and mental distress is likely to be much
more common among vulnerable migrants than among the general population, 35 with refugee
and migrant women having very high rates of mental illness. 36 Black African women, including
asylum seekers and refugees, have a mortality rate seven times that of white women. 37 Women
face significant barriers to healthcare as a result of a lack of accessible information, language
barriers, a lack of clarity of entitlement to services, low incomes and vulnerability to domestic
violence (DV) and abuse. 38
In England and Northern Ireland, most refused asylum seekers will face charges for secondary
healthcare and therefore, significant barriers to accessing appropriate care. The approach of
devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland is welcomed, where all those who have made an
application for asylum, whether their claims are pending or unsuccessful, are exempt from charges
for all NHS services on the same basis as a UK resident. 39 Recent migrants and women with insecure
immigration status are also subject to charges for NHS secondary care. This poses a significant
barrier for vulnerable women to accessing healthcare. Confusion about entitlement is also resulting
32. Miles, N. (2010) No Going Back: Lesbian and Gay People and the Asylum System. Stonewall: London http://www.stonewall.org.uk/what_we_
do/research_and_policy/2874.asp
33. Email from Asylum Aid to UKBA 11th May 2011
34. Scottish Refugee Council and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2009) Asylum seeking women: Violence and health http://
genderviolence.lshtm.ac.uk/files/2009/10/Asylum-seeking-Women-Violence-and-Health.pdf
35. Maternity Action (2012) Guidance for Commissioning Health Services for Vulnerable Migrant Women. WHEC: London http://www.
maternityaction.org.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/guidancecommissioninghealthservvulnmigrantwomen2012.pdf
36. Maternity Action (2012) Guidance for Commissioning Health Services for Vulnerable Migrant Women. WHEC: London http://www.
maternityaction.org.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/guidancecommissioninghealthservvulnmigrantwomen2012.pdf
37. Aspinall, P. and Watters, C. (2010) Research Report 52: Refugees and asylum seekers: A review from an equality and human rights
perspective. EHRC: Manchester http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/research/refugees_and_asylum_seekers_research_
report.pdf
38. Ng, P. (2010) Dispelling myths, Speaking Truths. Focus Groups Findings on the Experiences, Needs and Aspirations of Young BAMER
Women Living in the UK. Imkaan: London https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4zq0jgk4xyez91i/OHBb9uELBr/Dispelling%20Myths%20
Speaking%20Truths%20-%20Focus%20Group%20Findings.pdf .
39. Northern Ireland Law Centre (2010) Refused asylum seekers and access to free secondary healthcare: a comparison of England, Scotland,
Wales & Northern Ireland. http://www.lawcentreni.org/component/content/article/63-policy-briefings/865-refused-asylum-seekers-andaccess-to-free-secondary-healthcare.html#_edn2
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