Nine more asylum seekers died in first half of 2023 than Home Office disclosed

Three times as many asylum seekers died during the first six months of last year than the Home Office disclosed in official information, it has emerged.

Earlier in March, the Guardian reported on a freedom of information (FoI) response from the Home Office to an organisation called The Civil Fleet, a news blog that focuses on support for refugee rescue and support missions across Europe.

In that FoI response, the Home Office confirmed there had been five deaths in asylum seeker accommodation between January and June last year.

After publication of the article the Guardian was approached by another FoI applicant, who said he had obtained deaths in asylum accommodation data for the same period revealing almost three times as many deaths – 14 rather than five.

Related: Rwanda plan to cost UK £1.8m for each asylum seeker, figures show

Home Office sources confirmed that the reason for the large discrepancy between the information disclosed to two questioners apparently asking the same question was officials’ interpretation of the word “in”.

They consider they are not required to disclose information about people who died while living in Home Office accommodation if they physically died elsewhere – for example if they had a heart attack inside the accommodation but were then taken to hospital where they died. The sources added that it is a requirement for all Home Office accommodation contractors to report any deaths of asylum seekers in their care within four hours.

The second questioner added that they meant all cases where this accommodation was “the last known address” – not a phrase everyone seeking this information would know to include.

Human rights campaigners have condemned the Home Office for a lack of transparency and accountability about these deaths, especially at a time when concerns are mounting about an increase in mental health problems and suicide attempts among asylum seekers who may have pre-existing trauma after fleeing conflict zones.

This is alongside the distress at the imminent threat of being sent to Rwanda and despair experienced at controversial mass accommodation sites such as the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset and at Wethersfield in Essex.

The ICO has ordered the Home Office to disclose to The Civil Fleet by 4 April what has already been disclosed to the second questioner. It has obtained data for the whole of last year revealing that there were 22 deaths including 16 so far “unexplained”. Those who died came from many different parts of the world, including the Middle East, Africa and South America.

Many were in their 20s and 30s. A 19-year-old man from Iran died last December in the Midlands. His death has been classified as “unexplained”, as has the death of Leonard Farruku, a 27-year-old Albanian man who died on the Bibby Stockholm the same month after reportedly taking his own life.

Deborah Coles, the director of Inquest, said: “The fact that if you add a few obscure words to a freedom of information request you get a response revealing three times as many deaths of asylum seekers while in the care of the Home Office is deeply concerning.

“This is a deliberate attempt by government to try to conceal the truth about exactly how many people are dying in their accommodation. In line with the spirit and letter of FoI laws Home Office needs to be transparent and accountable about how many people are dying and in what circumstances.

“We know that Home Office policies have a negative impact on some asylum seekers health and some of these deaths, including those of young people, may be avoidable and need to be independently scrutinised.”