Reflections on the March Zoom Gathering
Our Refugee Tales Zoom call on 13 March focused on the question ‘What are the long term impacts of detention?’ This is a question that has been touched on in previous sessions, which emphasises the fact that the long term impacts of detention cannot and should not be separated from any understanding of the impact of detention overall.
Some people bravely shared their experience of detention; this was appreciated by the group, as many of these experiences must be deeply challenging to share. One person spoke about having no idea about how to claim asylum when they got to the UK which felt like being ‘kidnapped by the state’. Others spoke about not expecting to be treated in the way that they were. One person said of their experience in detention that ‘there was no effort to help me, only to deport me’.
Another person spoke about how their experience of detention still haunts them and they do not feel they have left detention, as they are never sure what will happen tomorrow. It felt like they were just watching their life slipping past when they should be planning their future. It was felt that this was a waste of people’s lives, and also a waste for the UK. People should be able to live their own lives and contribute to the communities they are in.
One person spoke about meeting a detention centre inspector while they were in detention, and the inspector was crying. If the people inspecting detention centres are this emotionally moved by the experience of someone being detained, what does this say? One group said that it feels as though the long term impacts of detention are not factored into the policies upholding detention, and as a result there is no structural support for people as they leave detention; it is all provided by NGOs and volunteers.
In terms of coping with the long term impacts of detention and trying to move forward, one person mentioned the value they have found in walking and talking with other people through Refugee Tales. Being able to share your story with someone who genuinely wants to listen can have a great healing power.
More practical support was also discussed. One person highlighted that when they’d been released to the community they’d been given a very small sum of money. Yet they were still expected to travel every week to sign in, which proved extremely difficult. The importance of access to bikes was mentioned as this can give people increased independence. Some good examples of this across the country were shared, such as The Bike Project. The importance of supporting people with learning English when they are in the community was also acknowledged.. Help with community integration was highlighted, as many people may not have much knowledge about life in the UK.
There was a will to hope for something better and for significant changes, such as turning profits from detention into something positive: one group suggested investing them in community integration, while another suggested a salary replacement for those who come to the UK who are not legally permitted to work. There was a strong sense of solidarity, with one group passionately saying that this movement will not end until policies shift and the voices of people in detention are heard.
—Chloe O’Connor