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UK asylum system 'exhausts by design,' harming mental health, study finds

The U.K. asylum system systematically wears down people seeking asylum, creating a cycle of psychological harm that undermines their ability to cope with continued adversity in the U.K., according to a new study.

The researchers explored the concept of a "politics of exhaustion" as a form of structural violence, describing how asylum policies and practices intersect to erode resilience over time.

Published in SSM—Mental Health, the draws on interviews with 18 service providers who support people seeking asylum across the U.K., including lawyers, doctors, mental health practitioners and charity workers. Their testimonies paint a stark picture of a system that disbelieves people's persecution, deprives their humanity, and delays a resolution to their suffering.

The study reports that immigration officials have been known to routinely disbelieve people's persecution over the years, including by undermining people's credibility and making judgments based on false assumptions. With little financial support and no right to work, many live in poverty and substandard housing, including controversial sites like the Bibby Stockholm barge. A vast backlog of asylum claims also means that many people are left in limbo for years on end, unable to rebuild their lives.

Tianne Haggar, research associate at The Policy Institute, said, "The extreme challenges people face—being constantly disbelieved and retraumatized, living in limbo with no updates about their asylum claim, living in poverty or being homeless—that is exhausting, and ultimately, it takes a toll on people's mental health and well-being. The system is designed in a way that makes people mentally unwell—no amount of personal resilience or agency can withstand a system that fundamentally undermines such capacities."

The study argues that these conditions are not accidental but part of a deliberate strategy to deter asylum claims.

Exhaustion then contributes to poor mental health by grinding down people's self-worth and resilience to cope with continued adversity, throughout the asylum process and in daily life. Many arrive with pre-existing trauma, only to have it worsened. The result is a cycle of psychological harm, with high rates of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, suicidal ideation, and social withdrawal.

The authors call for urgent reforms, including faster and fairer asylum processing, the right to work, safe and dignified living conditions, better access to health and social services, and the development of local integration partnerships.

Professor Hanna Kienzler, professor of global health and co-director at the ESRC Center for Society and Mental Health, said, "Integration is not a luxury—it's a lifeline. Experts interviewed for this study make clear that when people seeking sanctuary are seen, heard, and treated with dignity, their mental health, sense of safety, and ability to contribute flourish. To enhance integration, we must dismantle hostile narratives, invest in welcoming public services, and build communities rooted in justice and mutual care."