Living on the edge of despair: destitution amongst asylum seeking and refugee children
Living on the edge of despair: destitution amongst asylum seeking and refugee childrenThis report is based on a research study carried out by The Children's Society in the West Midlands during 2007.
Charities in the West Midlands have become increasingly concerned about destitution amongst children. The British Red Cross destitution clinic in the West Midlands identified an increasing number of babies, children and young people coming through the project, mainly with their parents. The Children’s Society was concerned by these reports and initiated research to find out more about why children were becoming destitute and what this meant for their lives.
We conducted interviews with 13 destitute families and young people, collected eight case studies from professionals and interviewed eight professionals to determine the causes and consequences of destitution for children.
The findings are stark. We uncovered stories of children growing up in households without food, heating or toys, mothers who felt forced to prostitute themselves to survive, young people in care cut off from any help at 18 becoming homeless, and pregnant women who cannot afford to eat or access healthcare.