The Challenges Faced when Seeking Asylum in the United Kingdom: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Aims: To claim asylum, individuals are required to provide an account of their experiences in the form of interviews with the Home Office. These accounts are often challenged by the Home Office because of apparent inconsistencies and a lack of credibility. Yet the ability to disclose everything that has happened to them can be impacted by a myriad of factors and there are many reasons why there may be inconsistencies in a person’s explanation. This study explores applicant’s experience of seeking asylum in the UK, how they experienced interviews with the Home Office, and how this impacted what they were able to say. Method: Semi-Structured interviews were conducted with eight participants who had been through the UK asylum process. Verbatim transcripts of the interviews were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) Results: Four Superordinate themes were identified; “Confronted by a Hostile System”, “Beliefs about Professionals”, “Experiences of Interviews”, The Impact of the Process on the Self” Conclusion: Participants identified experiences of a system that felt overtly and intentionally hostile to them. Psychological, practical, and institutional factors were identified as impacting what they were able to disclose in the interview. Participants identified deterioration to their mental health as a result of the experience of seeking asylum which for some was not alleviated even once leave to remain was granted