The High Court has ruled that the UK government acted unlawfully by forcing survivors of torture, trafficking and serious violence to share rooms with strangers in asylum accommodation. The judgment is a blow to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s plans to house more asylum seekers in disused army barracks.
Mr Justice Sweeting said the government failed to consult charities or assess the impact of the policy change, introduced in February 2024 by the previous administration. He stated there was “longstanding, consistent evidence of the serious risks of harm” to survivors.
The charity Freedom From Torture, which brought the case alongside the Helen Bamber Foundation, estimates that 10,000 torture survivors in shared housing could be affected. Natasha Tsangarides, associate director at Freedom From Torture, called the ruling a “vital and resounding victory”.
The Home Office has said it will “carefully consider” the judgment, adding that “lessons have been learned from large sites acquired under the previous government”. The ruling may force ministers to revert to the old policy or re-introduce changes after proper consultation and impact assessments.
Kamena Dorling, a director at the Helen Bamber Foundation, said that forcing vulnerable people into large accommodation sites “was a political choice that ignored the evidence”. About 350 asylum seekers have already been moved into a former barracks at Crowborough, East Sussex, with further plans for Cameron barracks in Inverness facing delays.
