My Development and Why I Write
My awareness that news is never simply neutral goes back to school. In English during the 1990s, we were asked to analyse how the same subject was presented across different newspapers. At first, I assumed that the news was just fact, but I soon realised how much the language, the tone, and even the choice of images changed the meaning.
The subject I chose was Marcus Harvey’s artwork Myra, a portrait of Myra Hindley made from children’s handprints. Some papers described it as provocative social commentary, while others condemned it as offensive. The same artwork, the same facts, yet completely different stories depending on the perspective of the outlet.
That lesson has stayed with me. It was the beginning of my political thinking, and it taught me the importance of questioning what I read, and of examining both the source and my own assumptions.
As an adult, one of the occupations that helps me make sense of issues like this is writing blogs. Writing gives me the space to explore complex social and political questions, to connect them with my professional lens as an occupational therapist, and to share these reflections with others. It is an occupation that is meaningful to me because it supports my own learning, while also encouraging dialogue and critical thinking.
This is why I am writing today about asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants. It is not enough to take headlines at face value. As occupational therapists, we need to educate ourselves about what is really going on below the surface, because these issues speak directly to questions of occupational justice, respect, and dignity.
Key Definitions
Asylum Seeker
An asylum seeker is someone who has fled their country and applied for protection in the UK but whose claim has not yet been decided. While they wait, they are called an asylum seeker and often face restrictions on work and limited access to services.
Refugee
If an asylum claim is successful, the person is recognised as a refugee under the 1951 Refugee Convention. This means they have been found to have a well founded fear of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. Refugees are granted the legal right to remain in the UK and access certain supports. In other words, refugees were once asylum seekers whose need for protection has been accepted.
Migrant
A migrant is someone who has moved from one country to another, temporarily or permanently, for reasons such as work, study, or family reunion. Migration is not necessarily linked to persecution or fear for safety. It is also a very legal process and part of government policy, designed to meet economic needs and to provide the skilled workers that the UK requires. Many migrants are skilled professionals, including large numbers who work in our NHS, social care, construction, agriculture, research, and education.
A Recent Court Case
In August 2025, the Court of Appeal overturned a High Court ruling that would have forced 138 asylum seekers to leave the Bell Hotel in Epping. The High Court had accepted planning arguments and pointed to unrest from local protests, but the Court of Appeal stressed that protest, even unlawful protest, cannot dictate where vulnerable people live. The judges also warned that closing one site could destabilise the wider accommodation system, and so they ruled that the hotel should remain open until a full hearing in October.
This case shows how asylum seekers can be caught up in planning disputes and political arguments rather than being treated as people with rights and needs.
I was struck even more by hearing one of the asylum seekers from this hotel interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s PM programme on Friday 29 August 2025. He described long days with nothing to do, food at fixed times with no choice, and the constant uncertainty of waiting. To me as an occupational therapist, his account screamed occupational deprivation. The basic human right to shape daily routines and engage in meaningful activity was absent, replaced by forced passivity. You can listen to the interview here on BBC Sounds (from 28:47).
Busting the Myths
“Asylum seekers get free hotels and live in luxury.”
Hotels are used because of housing shortages. Conditions are often overcrowded and restrictive, with little autonomy over daily life.
“They come for benefits.”
Asylum seekers cannot claim mainstream benefits. They receive a small allowance of about six pounds a day and are usually barred from working while claims are processed.
“They take housing from British families.”
Asylum seekers are housed through Home Office contracts, separate from social housing. Refugees who are granted status face the same waiting lists and criteria as everyone else.
“They are a burden on services.”
This myth is often aimed at asylum seekers and refugees. In reality asylum seekers receive very limited financial support and are usually not allowed to work, which prevents them from contributing in the way many wish to. Once people are granted refugee status, or when migrants are legally recruited to the UK, they make huge contributions to the economy, society, and culture. Research consistently shows that both refugees and migrants pay more in taxes than they receive in services.
“They have free and easy access to health care.”
Asylum seekers are entitled to NHS primary care and emergency treatment, but many face barriers such as language difficulties, fear of data sharing with the Home Office, and stigma. Some refused asylum seekers are even charged for secondary care.
“Refugees and asylum seekers are dangerous.”
There is no evidence that people seeking asylum are more likely to commit crimes. Most are fleeing danger rather than creating it.
From Myths to Occupational Injustice
These myths are not harmless. They reinforce occupational injustice:
- Lack of autonomy in hotels leads to occupational deprivation
- Work bans and benefit restrictions create occupational marginalisation
- Housing insecurity fuels occupational imbalance
- Barriers to health care reflect occupational apartheid
- Stigmatising language and fear narratives create occupational alienation
For occupational therapists these issues are not peripheral. They directly relate to our work of enabling people to participate in life with dignity and purpose.
A Short History of Migration in the UK
Migration has always shaped the UK. Huguenots fled persecution in the seventeenth century. Irish migrants came during the nineteenth century famine. Jewish refugees escaped pogroms in Eastern Europe. After the Second World War, the UK invited Commonwealth workers to help rebuild. The Windrush Generation worked in hospitals, transport, and industry.
Today almost one in five NHS staff comes from outside the UK. Thirty percent of doctors and one fifth of nurses are foreign nationals. Migrants also play key roles in social care, construction, hospitality, and agriculture. Migration is not new, and it is not a problem to be solved. It is part of human history and part of what has made the UK what it is.
Numbers Behind the Headlines
As of mid 2025, over 111,000 people had active asylum claims in the UK. Around 41,000 arrived via small boat crossings, often their only option due to lack of safe routes. More than 30,000 people are still living in temporary hotels.
These are not faceless statistics. They are individuals and families seeking safety and stability. Yet they are too often described as a “flood”, a “swarm”, or an “invasion”. Such language strips away identity and humanity.
No Such Thing as an Illegal Person
One of the most damaging phrases is “illegal immigrant”. A person cannot be illegal. What may be unlawful is how someone enters or remains in a country, but their humanity is never in question. International bodies such as the UNHCR recommend using words like “undocumented” or “irregular”. Language shapes public opinion and directly affects people’s opportunities for meaningful participation.
Beyond the Headlines
As occupational therapists we are bound by the HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics to treat all people with respect, to challenge discrimination, and to uphold rights. This responsibility does not stop at the clinic door. It extends to how we engage in public debate and in our communities.
Migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees face hardship and discrimination despite their contributions. Our profession calls us to challenge these injustices and to educate ourselves, so that we do not unintentionally reinforce stigma.
A Call to Critical Thinking
The recent Epping hotel case is more than a planning dispute. It is a reminder that asylum seekers are too often treated as problems to be managed rather than people with the same rights to dignity and meaningful occupation as anyone else.
As occupational therapists we must look beyond hostile headlines, apply critical thinking, and encourage others to do the same. Just as I learned at school when analysing the subject of Marcus Harvey’s Myra, the news is never truly objective. Writing blogs is one of the occupations that helps me keep asking questions and making sense of these complex issues. I hope reading this encourages others to do the same, both in their professional practice and in everyday conversations.
Silence only reinforces stigma. If we are to remain true to our profession, we must stand with those who are marginalised and affirm their right to live with dignity, purpose, and belonging.
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