Concern about housing conditions for asylum seekers uncovered by BBC investigation
Damp, debris and falling ceilings - a BBC investigation into accommodation for asylum seekers has uncovered serial concerns about housing conditions.
A fourth contract paid for a national phone line, Migrant Help, to handle complaints and pass them to the housing companies. "I was in the room upstairs, and all of a sudden I heard a noise and the missus was on the floor... all the plaster and wood was on her head," said Adam. "My baby was shouting and screaming.""I could have lost my baby that day. I think it's in the system where things are going wrong - it's not the people - I think it's a system."
There is no suggestion Adam and his family's incident is the norm - but research indicates that neither was it an isolated experience. But a September 2021 Home Office survey of asylum seekers, obtained by the BBC, hints at a mixed picture. Only six out of ten respondents were happy or very happy with accommodation.
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