Open Letter: Proposed accommodation of people seeking asylum at Yarl’s Wood

We the undersigned, as people of faith, community representatives and concerned citizens, wish to raise objections about the proposal to temporarily accommodate 200 people seeking asylum on a site in Bedfordshire. We seek assurance that the wellbeing and human dignity of the proposed residents will be at the forefront of the decision-making process. 

The location of the proposed site is adjacent to Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre. We know that many of the intended residents will have experienced significant difficulties and trauma prior to their arrival. The proximity of this site to a centre used for detention could compound this suffering, and cause feelings of anxiety among residents seeking asylum. Furthermore, we are deeply concerned that vulnerable individuals will be housed at a location which is some distance from urban centres, significantly impacting their access to local services and community support. The proposed accommodation will consist of prefabricated style buildings, raising questions about the health and mental well-being of the residents, including risks associated with COVID19.

 We seek responses to the following questions from the Home Office and their contractor Serco Group PLC:

• Have other more suitable options been exhausted, including hotel accommodation or other options closer to an urban centre such as Bedford or Luton?
• How will you ensure that the physical and mental wellbeing of the proposed residents will be safeguarded?
• Have the requisite social and environmental risk assessments been carried out?
• Will local organisations be given adequate access to offer support in a COVID secure manner?
• Will residents have adequate access to local institutions which can support their wellbeing, including places of worship?
• Has the process of developing this site been conducted in a transparent manner with the full support of the local authorities?

We seek transparent answers to these questions, and the assurance that nobody will be housed on this site until these matters have been given full consideration, so that we and the communities we represent can extend the compassion, welcome and support that all human beings, with inherent worth and dignity, deserve

Add your name to this letter here.