Waiting for asylum – in a hotel

A British Border Force ship brings refugees found in the English Channel to Dover, England, in this file photo. — ©2023 The New York Times Company

EVERY morning, Mohammed Al Muhandes wakes up in a hotel in Leeds, England, and wonders how to pass the day.

Along with dozens of other asylum-seekers, he eats the same breakfast each morning, then returns to his room or walks in a nearby park. The £9.58, he is given each week is barely enough for one return bus trip to the city centre (£4.50) and a cup of coffee. Asylum-seekers in Britain are not allowed to work.