← Back to our work

Case study · Asylum, Digital Inclusion

Digital Asylum

Since 2023, People Street has been supporting the User Centre Design colleagues to actively test asylum and migration products and policies with the communities who need to access these new services. This is our flagship Design Justice project. It is evidence that centring the experiences and voices of the most excluded communities can reduce digital exclusion. We work inclusively. The work is led by people with lived experience. Asylum communities are shaping services.

Digital Asylum

The challenge

Can you be Rapid and inclusive? At People Street, we say yes. We can't vouch for anyone else. But our methodology is built on trusted relationships, reciprocity, respect and care. We are agile and inclusive. Our wrap-around support framework negates token engagement. For Home Office colleagues, we solve the problem of reach. We don't "recruit", we create opportunities for traditionally excluded communities to have their say. We don't offer "the usual suspects" or professional participants. We are intersectional by design.

What we did

Every year we support asylum and migrant communities to participate in research conversations or test out digital products to ensure that are inclusive before they go live. We support both online and in-person sessions in community settings. In 2025-26, we supported more than 80 people to take part in this work.

The outcome

Policies and digital services that are actively tackling digital exclusion. Our research led to £1.4 million distributed to grassroots organisations to support with e-visas, changes to the gov.uk ewbsite and much more. User Researchers who are better informed about inclusive research.

In partnership with Home Office · January 2023