The Home Office does not publish data on the deaths of asylum seekers in its housing...
... despite calls from experts and campaigners to do so. We set out to gather as much information as possible about each of them. Here, we tell their stories.
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Name unknown
Male
/
37
/
Nigerian
died on or around:
17/11/2020
11/17/2020
Cause of death:
Not known
housing provider:
Clearsprings Ready Homes
Location:
South
,
2020/11
20201117
This 37-year-old Nigerian man, who had been granted asylum, died suddenly in his accommodation according to Home Office notes. He was found by his housemates. He was known to be a cancer patient, but it's not clear from the records if this was his cause of death.
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Name unknown
Male
/
49
/
Pakistani
died on or around:
21/9/2020
9/21/2020
Cause of death:
Not known
housing provider:
None
Location:
North East, Yorkshire and the Humber
,
2020/09
20200921
This Pakistani man, 49, is said in Home Office documents to have died "peacefully" in a care home. He was no longer in Home Office asylum seeker housing; it's possible he had recently been moved, which would explain his inclusion on the Home Office Incident Database.
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Name unknown
Male
/
0
/
Chinese
died on or around:
27/9/2020
9/27/2020
Cause of death:
Not known
housing provider:
Mears
Location:
Scotland
,
2020/09
20200927
The five-week-old child of a mother from China died on or around 27 September 2020, internal files suggest. Police were called after the mother was seen in the street in distress carrying the baby, who had been unwell; the family had contacted NHS 111 for help.
The cause of death was yet to be confirmed according to the most recent notes in the Home Office Incident Database, dated 30 September 2020.
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Name unknown
Male
/
50
/
Sri Lankan
died on or around:
25/9/2020
9/25/2020
Cause of death:
Not known
housing provider:
Mears
Location:
North East, Yorkshire and the Humber
,
2020/09
20200925
This 50-year-old man from Sri Lanka was found in his room on the morning of 25 September 2020, internal records reveal. Mears staff attempted CPR but he was pronounced dead by the time paramedics arrived. His asylum claim had been refused and he was receiving temporary support.
Home Office notes state he had a Level 2 Rule 35 claim in 2018. This means there was evidence he was vulnerable. Another report said he had depression with symptoms of PTSD and psychosis.
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Name unknown
Male
/
0
/
Sudanese
died on or around:
14/9/2020
9/14/2020
Cause of death:
Not known
housing provider:
Clearsprings Ready Homes
Location:
South
,
2020/09
20200914
The seven-month-old son of an asylum seeker from Sudan died in a hotel in London run by Clearsprings Ready Homes. Paramedics were called on 14 September 2020, after the baby was found unconscious and unresponsive.
They pronounced the child dead at 7.02am. Clearsprings was contacted by a local authority child death review manager. There have been no updates to the Home Office Incident Database since 22 September, 2020.
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Name unknown
Male
/
53
/
Pakistani
died on or around:
30/9/2020
9/30/2020
Cause of death:
Not known
housing provider:
Clearsprings Ready Homes
Location:
South
,
2020/09
20200930
This 53-year-old Pakistani man died on 30 September 2020 following an unspecified long illness, according to the Home Office's Incident Database.
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Name unknown
Male
/
52
/
Sierra Leonean
died on or around:
13/11/2020
11/13/2020
Cause of death:
Not known
housing provider:
Mears
Location:
North East, Yorkshire and the Humber
,
2020/11
20201113
This Sierra Leonean man, 52, was found dead in his room by another asylum seeker. A Home Office High Profile Incident report states the cause of death was unknown but he "was believed to be a heavy drinker".
West Yorkshire police said a post-mortem established he died from natural causes. The report reveals the man had requested to be moved from his accommodation on 22 October, complaining that the noisy boiler in his room was disturbing his sleep and making him dizzy. Blood tests showed no signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, but a GP had also requested he be moved as his symptoms may have been caused by chronic sleep deprivation.
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Name unknown
Male
/
43
/
Sri Lankan
died on or around:
10/12/2020
12/10/2020
Cause of death:
Medical
housing provider:
Clearsprings Ready Homes
Location:
South
,
2020/12
20201210
This 43-year-old Sri Lankan man died from a unspecified serious illness for which he had been receiving palliative care, documents suggest. At the time of his death, he was receiving temporary support for destitute people whose asylum claims have been refused.
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Name unknown
Female
/
65
/
Zimbabwean
died on or around:
1/12/2020
12/1/2020
Cause of death:
Not known
housing provider:
Clearsprings Ready Homes
Location:
South
,
2020/12
20201201
This woman from Zimbabwe, 65, is said in the Home Office Incident Database to have died in hospital from unspecified "natural causes". She had been receiving temporary support for destitute people whose asylum claims have been refused.
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Name unknown
Male
/
52
/
Pakistani
died on or around:
25/11/2020
11/25/2020
Cause of death:
Medical
housing provider:
Mears
Location:
Scotland
,
2020/11
20201125
Documents state this Pakistani man, 52, died in the street after suffering an unspecified medical problem. He was receiving temporary support for people who are destitute but whose asylum claims have been refused. The cause of death was unconfirmed in the Home Office's Incident Database.
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Name unknown
Male
/
54
/
Bangladeshi
died on or around:
28/6/2021
6/28/2021
Cause of death:
Not known
housing provider:
Serco
Location:
North West
,
2021/06
20210628
This 54-year-old man from Bangladesh was found dead at his asylum accommodation by police on 28 June 2021, records show. A neighbour told Migrant Help the man had been using a machine to help with his breathing.
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Name unknown
Male
/
33
/
Ethiopian
died on or around:
7/3/2017
3/7/2017
Cause of death:
Possible/suspected suicide
housing provider:
Clearsprings Ready Homes
Location:
Wales
,
Cardiff
2017/03
20170307
This 33-year-old Ethiopian man is suspected of dying by suicide in March 2017, according to an internal Home Office document. A relative contacted police after the individual “made claims about ending their life”. Officers found him dead at his Clearsprings Ready Homes housing.
The man arrived in Britain in the back of a lorry in September 2016, the papers suggest. Home Office officials note he told them at the time that he’d left Italy before receiving a decision on his asylum claim because “no one was interested”.
Officials found immigration paperwork at his housing stating his asylum claim in the UK was refused and he was liable for removal to Italy where he had in the meantime been granted refugee status.
Officials wrote that their databases contained “no evidence … to suggest the applicant made anyone aware of how intense his feelings were with regards to a possible return to Italy”.
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