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Contemporary compulsory dispersal and the absence of space for the restoration of trust

  • Patricia Hynes
    ,
  • Patricia Hynes
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality
    SDG 5 Gender Equality
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
    SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
    SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Abstract

This paper investigates the issue of trust, or mistrust, specifically in relation to single adult asylum seekers and asylum seeker families compulsorily dispersed across England. It draws upon doctoral research on the social exclusion of asylum seekers as a result of dispersal and their separation from mainstream welfare provision due to the creation of the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) following the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Trust is an ambiguous term and four forms of trust are delineated to assist conceptualizing the experience of forced migration: social, political, institutional and restorative trust. This paper provides an overview of the aims and each phase of the implementation of dispersal. It is argued that the dispersal system leaves little room for political or institutional trust to be restored and hinders the restoration of social trust. It is suggested that this lack of space for the restoration of trust has negative implications for the longer term resettlement process of asylum seekers who obtain refugee status. It is also suggested that trust is an essential component of UK government policies promoting social or community cohesion, community engagement and initiatives to combat trafficking, forced marriage and ‘honour’ based violence and that mistrust of asylum seekers as a group directly contradicts such policies and initiatives.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 97

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Journal of Refugee Studies (Volume 22, Issue 1)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 11/02/2009

Publication status

Published - 11/02/2009

ISSN

0951-6328

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/293698
  • Scopus: 62549156310

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