What is destitution? PAFRAS briefing paper number 9

Aims

This briefing on access to legal aid is part of a series that provides concise analyses of key policies and concerns relating to people made destitute through the asylum process.

Methodology

Policy analysis and data from interviews with people who use the PAFRAS [Positive Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers] drop-in.

Key issues

The paper discusses the implementation of destitution in the asylum system; the apparent escalation of destitution using statistics from the PAFRAS drop-in; institutionalised poverty; the features of destitution and the political framework of destitution.