According to information obtained by the Guardian, 23 individuals seeking asylum have committed suicide in Home Office housing over the past four years, which is more than twice the number from the previous four years.
Based on data provided to the Guardian, a total of 23 individuals have either been confirmed or suspected to have committed suicide from 2020 to the present year, 2023.
According to data obtained through freedom of information, it is estimated that between April 2016 and the end of 2019, 10 individuals took their own lives. Additional data from 2020 until August 2023 reveals that 19 more individuals died by suicide, and it is believed that four more asylum seekers have added to the total, bringing it to at least 23.
New information, acquired by Liberty Investigates, has surfaced recently following the death of Albanian refugee Leonard Farruku on the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset.
According to data from the Home Office’s freedom of information, 176 individuals have passed away while staying in government-provided housing for asylum seekers as of August 27th of this year. An additional four deaths, believed to be self-inflicted, were discovered in the later months of 2023, making the total known deaths 180.
In February of 2022, a train station suicide occurred involving a 25-year-old from Eritrea. Last August, a 29-year-old from Iran passed away after submitting an asylum application 14 months prior.
Newer incidents involve Irakli Kapanadze, aged 37, who was discovered deceased outside of his designated residence in Wakefield on September 14th of this year. Rima al-Badi, a 21-year-old from Oman, is reported to have committed suicide on September 1st, 2023 after residing in a Home Office hotel for over a year.
On October 13, 2023, a 63-year-old man named Victor Hugo Pereira Vargas from Colombia was discovered in his hotel room in Hailsham, East Sussex with injuries that appeared to be self-inflicted. According to a spokesperson from the Sussex police, his death is not being considered suspicious.
According to reports, hotel employees had observed Vargas in a state of visible distress on August 16, two months prior. He had requested for them to call the police as he desired to leave the UK and travel to any destination other than his home country.
On September 11th, he reported to staff that he had been experiencing three days of sleeplessness and was scheduled for a GP mental health appointment. When he did not show up for breakfast, security personnel entered his room, which seemed to be blocked from the inside, and discovered him deceased.
A resident of the hotel, who is also an asylum seeker, expressed their shock over the situation with Victor. They mentioned that they used to have breakfast together at 7am, but one morning he did not show up. The residents did not receive any assistance or guidance to cope with the incident.
Graham O’Neill, the manager in charge of policies at the Scottish Refugee Council, expressed concern about the findings, which indicate a significant issue within the massive system of institutional housing for more than 50,000 refugees.
“This is accommodation where room-sharing is increasingly required of often traumatised people left to exist in the severest poverty of £1.25 a day and not allowed to work. One consequence is plummeting mental health.”
A representative from Clearsprings Ready Homes, one of three private companies contracted by the Home Office to provide asylum housing, including the property where Vargas passed away, stated: “Due to data protection regulations, we are unable to discuss specific cases. However, we are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of any individual in our accommodations.”
The main priority is the welfare of the individuals under our care. We collaborate closely with various groups and experts who provide additional assistance to those in need.
The Home Office representative stated that the well-being of all individuals under their care is their top priority. They also mentioned that any loss of life in asylum housing is a devastating occurrence and will be thoroughly looked into by law enforcement and the coroner.
We constantly strive to recognize and address the needs and vulnerabilities of individuals living in asylum accommodations, including those related to mental health and trauma.
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In the United Kingdom and Ireland, you can reach Samaritans by dialing 116 123 for a free call, or by emailing [email protected] or [email protected]. In the United States, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988, chatting on 988lifeline.org, or texting HOME to 741741 to speak with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline can be reached at 13 11 14. For other international helplines, visit befrienders.org.
Source: theguardian.com
