Faith Gakanje 
Life Robbed 

As a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the UK has a proud tradition in granting a safe haven to asylum seekers. Faith’s experience draws attention to many of the areas where policy makers need to do more to improve the asylum system and make it more welcoming. These include policy issues such as how asylum applications are handled, integration, housing, financial support, legal support, reporting, detention, and how to prevent destitution and homelessness. Faith’s own experience is reflected in the title of her book. She felt as though the asylum system had robbed her of the best years of her life. After several appeals, it took the Home Office almost 9 years to finally accept her asylum application in 2010. She found herself destitute and homeless for much of this period.