One young man had to leave behind both of his parents as they could only afford for him to make the dangerous journey to the UK, another had to travel over with her young children leaving her husband behind and many had to flee just with the shoes on their feet and the clothes they were wearing.

They didn’t want to leave their homeland but they were forced to do so by the situation their country was in if they wanted a chance of not just a ‘better life,’ but to stay alive at all.

With Rishi Sunak’s controversial measures to reduce illegal migration and a media focus on the number of hotels housing Asylum Seekers, our reporter Sophie Mei Lan went to find out what life is like inside an Asylum Seeker Initial Accommodation Centre (IAC).

Sadly many people are forced to flee their home country leaving behind their homes, treasured possessions and loved ones.

We visited an asylum seeker initial accommodation centre in Yorkshire to see what it was like

But what is life actually like if you manage to arrive in the UK?

People are initially housed in IACs aka reception centres or hostels, in dispersal areas where temporary accommodation is provided sometimes in hotels or large buildings.

While it’s only temporary as people are ‘dispersed’ into housing, some people have had long stays in these centres.

One man who was temporarily housed at a former hotel in Yorkshire which had been subcontracted by the government to provide housing for asylum seekers, said it is "like a prison".

He has gone from playing football in parks and living in a spacious house with his parents to being confined inside four walls as the hotel is remote and there is nowhere to exercise or explore.

While a lot of community organisations are not allowed inside, some manage to arrange transport to take people to activities.

In another IAC in West Yorkshire, families live together in one room on bunk beds and three meals a day are served in the canteen area. There’s an old gym hall which acts as a playroom and activity room.

One young woman said: “My parents had good jobs and a nice house back home but it was too dangerous to stay. Now we’re living all together in one room. It’s hard but I’m really happy to be here and be safe.”

The palm trees offer an inviting entrance but the claustrophobic environment when you step in feels a juxtaposition. The long corridors are covered in mahogany and cream painted walls with the odd positive affirmation poster hung up.

While families have their own rooms, they share dining facilities and bathrooms as well as the activity room.

Organisations such as Hawwa Appeal provide free activities at the centre.

A volunteer at Hawwa said: “It’s quite a chaotic and challenging environment with people coming and going. Everyone is in limbo. But we try to use art, dance and activities to give people some time out and to relax away from their uncertain future. These are human beings, not just numbers. We treat everyone with the respect and dignity they deserve.”

She said many people have not only arrived with only the shoes on their feet they left with but have also undergone trauma. She added: “We are one global family.”

Click here to donate to Hawwa Appeal.

Inside an 'initial accommodation centre' for asylum seekers in Yorkshire