As friends of asylum seekers, we in City of Sanctuary already know about the substandard accommodation given to asylum seekers forced to share with people they have never met. We welcome the Guardian bringing this story to public attention and hope that people write to tell their MPs it’s not acceptable and that we, the public want to see improvements. If you have any specific stories or photos to share then please add these to your email to your MP. 
The recent report in the Guardian has revealed that UK asylum-seekers are living in ‘squalid, unsafe slum conditions’. Testimonies from asylum seekers and frontline workers detail accommodation that is infested with vermin, insecure, damp and dirty. The Local Government Association commented, “vermin infestations and damp are things that would stop a local authority from considering that accommodation for placing UK homeless families. That same minimum standard should apply consistently.”The report comes 10 months after the publication of the Home Affairs Select Committee report on Asylum Accommodation, noting the lack of progress on many of the recommendations put forward, and the lack of a Government response to the report. It notes as well that the new asylum accommodation contracts are due to be published next week.
Please join us in sharing the article with your networks and on social media with some suggested tweets below.
- .@YvetteCooperMP + @CommonsHomeAffs still wait for a reply from govt. to their report on #asylum housing. Meanwhile, https://bit.ly/2gNPGgU
- In Jan, @CommonsHomeAffs asked the govt. to urgently improve #asylum housing. Today, we see the same stories. https://bit.ly/2gNPGgU