Health of asylum seekers placed in Reading during the pandemic

Report by Reading Voice

We spoke with 43 asylum seekers or refugees placed in Reading by the Home Office as part of the government's pandemic response.

Summary:

• Being moved from other parts of the UK to Reading had sometimes caused unsafe breaks in medication or ongoing treatment

• Their rights to free prescriptions and dental care on the NHS had been delayed in many cases due to bureaucracy

• Case studies highlight the experiences of Mohammed, Farzad and Nyadeng

• The full report contains responses from Berkshire West Clinical Commissioning Group, Reading Borough Council and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

AsylumSeekersHotelFullReportMarch2021.pdf

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