DEWA Project’s vision:

An equitable world that enhances the rights of marginalised populations, particularly women and girls through sustainable solutions

DEWA Statement on World Mental Health Day: The Urgent Needs to Lift the Ban on Work for Asylum Seekers 

On World Mental Health Day, 10th October, with a focus on workplace mental health, we at DEWA Project must bring attention to an often overlooked group: asylum seekers. Through our work supporting women from these communities, we have witnessed the profound and damaging effects of the current ban on work. This policy not only strips people of the chance to support themselves but deeply undermines their mental health and sense of worth.

For the women we support, being denied the right to work traps them in a cycle of isolation, anxiety, and hopelessness. Work provides more than just financial security it offers dignity, purpose, and a chance to belong. When this is taken away, it amplifies the trauma they have already endured. Many of our members speak of the depression and frustration caused by being left idle, unable to use their skills or contribute to their communities. The uncertainty of their futures combined with forced inactivity creates a mental health crisis that is preventable.

At DEWA, we see how the ability to work can be transformative. Work is healing it gives people a way to regain control over their lives, rebuild their confidence, and find hope again. It also helps to integrate asylum seekers and refugees into the wider community, creating stronger, more inclusive societies.

This World Mental Health Day, we call for an end to the damaging restrictions that prevent asylum seekers and refugees from working.

Lifting the ban would not only improve their mental health but also give them the opportunity to thrive and contribute. Mental health is a fundamental right for all, and that includes asylum seekers and refugees.

The women of DEWA Project, like so many others, bring with them a wealth of skills, strength, and resilience. We believe they deserve the chance to use these talents and to regain a sense of normalcy and empowerment. By lifting the ban, we can begin to address the mental health crisis faced by so many and ensure that no one is left behind.

Mental health matters for everyone. Let’s take real steps to improve the mental wellbeing of asylum seekers and refugees by allowing them the right to work, contribute, and heal.

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