Several food banks in Croydon are refusing to serve asylum seekers, saying they have access to food in their accommodation.

Complaints have also been made about the lack of food for infants and “inedible food on behalf of the displaced people” at the hotel contractors, Clear Springs Ready Homes and SBHL, according to the Croydon Refugee & New Communities Forum (CRNCF), an independent, collaborative and impact-driven voluntary organisation based in Croydon.

Adam Yasir, a co-chair of the CRNCF, told ELL in an exclusive interview he believed that as a result of the hotels’ failure to honour their obligation to adequately feed the people in their care, people have been forced to go without edible food while medical patients have been unable to get the care they need and children have suffered.

He said: “The situation [foodbanks] has not changed, sadly. Overall, it is important to recognise that access to food is a basic human right, and any policy or practice that restricts this right for vulnerable populations is concerning.

“While Foodbanks can play a valuable role in addressing food insecurity, they should not be seen as a substitute for a comprehensive and effective welfare system that ensures all members of society have access to the basic necessities of life.

The government has an obligation to protect the fundamental human rights of all individuals within the UK, regardless of their legal status. This includes the right to food and access to basic necessities such as shelter, healthcare, and education. We expect the government should take immediate action to address the situation.”

Yasir gave three points that government should do to protect asylum seekers’ basic rights.

• Providing emergency food assistance to those in need: The government should work with local charities and organisations to provide immediate food assistance to asylum seekers who are unable to access food.
• Ensuring that asylum seekers are able to access social services, which includes access to food banks, housing assistance, and healthcare services. Ensuring that asylum seekers are able to work: If asylum seekers are unable to access food due to a lack of income, the government should consider allowing them to work in order to support themselves.
• Addressing systemic issues: If asylum seekers are being turned away from accessing food due to systemic issues, such as discrimination or lack of access to resources, the government should work to address these issues. Overall, it is important that the government takes swift action to handle any situation in which asylum seekers are being denied their basic human rights, including the right to food. The government has a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable members of society, and this includes asylum seekers who are often fleeing persecution, violence, and other forms of harm. The weaponisation of food refers to the practice of using access to food as a means of control or coercion. This can take many forms, in this case it was withholding food from a population as a form of punishment, using food as a weapon and denying access to food as a means of enforcing government policies that have proven to be cruel, brutal, inhumane and racist to a greater extent.

Yasir added: “In this context of Foodbanks, there has been some debate about whether they are part of the UK government’s “hostile environment policy” towards migrants and asylum seekers. The “hostile environment policy” refers to a series of measures introduced by the UK government in recent years aimed at making life more difficult for migrants and asylum seekers in the UK. While Food banks themselves might not be part of the “hostile environment policy,” there are certainly concerns that the policies and practices that lead to increased demand for Food banks are part of this broader policy framework.

“For example, the government’s “no recourse to public funds” policy, which restricts access to welfare benefits for some migrants, has been identified as a critical driver of food insecurity and the need for Foodbanks among migrant communities. In addition, the use of food vouchers by the government to provide support to some asylum seekers has also been criticised as a form of control and coercion, as it restricts their ability to access food in the same way as other members of the population.”