Due to a combination of wars, political unrest, geopolitical crises, and climate change, there are now more asylum seekers than ever before. Shortages of suitable accommodation and a backlog of applications mean that asylum seekers in the UK have increasingly been housed in hotels, which are currently the focal point of intense debate and a wave of protests. So-called asylum hotels can be highly problematic in terms of privacy, overcrowding, hygiene, and food. The quality, quantity and safety of food provided are the subject of fervent concern for campaigners and advocates.

A qualitative study of asylum seekers experiences of contingency accommodation catering and food bank provision was carried out in a London-based food bank. Twenty-two participants with current or recent experience of the asylum system were interviewed across three focus groups (with translators). In addition, five food bank staff participated in online semi-structured interviews.

Our findings suggest that some hotel food provision is characterised by rigid mealtimes, and inadequate and low-quality catering, including accounts of unsafe, inedible and inappropriate food being served. This is exacerbated by the pressures of living for months and sometimes years in accommodation without any facilities for residents to prepare or store food for themselves. Participants reported having to engage in harmful coping strategies. They explained how they considered health challenges such as obesity, malnutrition, delayed puberty, and depression to be a direct result of their limited and inadequate diet. In order to supplement, or even mitigate, hotel food provision, residents often engaged in long-term food bank use.

The true extend of the dietary inequalities for asylum seekers is difficult to assess in the UK because poor diet and malnutrition may go unnoticed in hotel settings. Asylum seekers can experience a combination of inadequate hotel food provision, the inability to work or claim benefits, and reliance on food banks. Collectively, these can be understood as a form of institutionalised food insecurity.