Dr Sarah Boutros, Lauren Starkey#ThisBillHarmsMyPatient
This is based on a true case, but all identifiable information has been removed. It is written as if the Illegal Migration Bill has been passed into law in order to demonstrate its potential impact.
Donya was 16 when she was referred to my specialist service for children and young people who have been sexually abused or exploited. Donya and her family had fled Iran 1 year before and had travelled
through Europe before arriving in the UK 3 months before. During their journey, Donya was raped by 4 men in a Greek refugee camp. Her father came running when he heard the screams for help but the men beat him up, and her mother was stabbed when she tried to intervene. They all survived the assault but were left with scars and the effects of trauma. Now they are in the UK as asylum seekers and are living in a 1 bedroom hotel room with her younger brother and parents.
When I see her, she tells me things are very bad for her. She can’t sleep because she has to share a bed with her little brother (aged 2) who kicks and moves around during the night. She has constant flashbacks of her assault. She has no privacy in the morning and night to get changed into her clothes. She has no appetite. Her periods have been irregular and infrequent and she worries what this could mean. She has suicidal thoughts most days and has made plans but has stopped herself thinking on the impact it would have on her little brother.
I am able to do a holistic health assessment, reassure her that her body is healthy and that she is not pregnant and has no STI. I refer her for specialist mental health support. I write a housing letter to support their attempts to move from the 1 bedroom hotel. I contact migrant organisations working in the area who can support her further.
But I know her trauma is significant and the risks ongoing. Her father has become violent and angry and her mother’s mental health is also deteriorating. She dreams of leaving the hotel room and finding a way
to live on her own. She is vulnerable.
Under the Illegal Immigration Bill, Donya and her family will be unable to claim asylum or regularise their status in the UK. The family will remain in the hotel until a decision is made on their removal from the UK. Donya won’t know where she and her family will be removed to, and she may worry that it will be like the refugee camp in Greece. With her family relationships breaking down, and the threat of forced removal to an unknown place hanging over her, Donya’s trauma and desperation will only increase. As a result, when men outside the hotel approach her and offer her a way to make money, move out of the hotel, and stay in the UK, Donya will be at her most vulnerable.
Donya wasn’t trafficked to the UK but she will be significantly more at risk of trafficking and exploitation if the Illegal Immigration Bill passes into law. The Bill’s provisions will have the effect of increasing her trauma and desperation whilst simultaneously removing all avenues for protection. As her healthcare provider, I worry about what this Bill will mean for Donya and vulnerable young people just like her.