Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 35
35
Paragraph: 143
During the pandemic the Government has asked providers to source additional accommodation in areas which...
Conclusion
During the pandemic the Government has asked providers to source additional accommodation in areas which had not previously participated in dispersal, which we understand and welcome. However, at the same time the Government has temporarily sanctioned providers to secure such accommodation without the prior approval of the relevant local authority. Our predecessors’ 2018 report on asylum accommodation reiterated the Committee’s concerns that the Government’s dispersal policy risked undermining the support and consent of local communities, many of which have a long history of welcoming those in need of sanctuary. We repeat this concern again in light of evidence we have received which suggests that communication issues still remain between providers and local dispersal authorities. Nonetheless we were encouraged to hear examples of providers engaging with local areas when sourcing accommodation.
Paragraph Reference:
143
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Home Office is committed to working collaboratively with communities and stakeholders to ensure that destitute asylum seekers are provided with safe, secure and suitable accommodation. We have established the Local Government Chief Executive Group (HOLGCEX) group to bring together senior representatives from Home Office, Local Government Association and Local Authorities with the aim of working in partnership to improve the asylum dispersal process for the people who use this service and the communities in which they reside. In July 2019 the group agreed an approach to achieve more equity in asylum dispersal across the UK, aligning each region’s share of asylum population to its national population share. This includes work by all parties to Home Office preparedness for COVID-19 (coronavirus): institutional accommodation: 13 understand and address barriers to wider participation in the asylum dispersal scheme. taxation, we recognise that a lack of further direct funding is one issue that has been regularly asserted by some local authorities as their main reason for not participating. Members of the HOLGCEX group are working collaboratively to identify and evidence these additional costs and the appropriate funding mechanisms. As the Committee notes, in response to the outbreak of COVID-19 the decision was taken to temporarily pause the cessation of asylum support for those who would ordinarily no longer be eligible for accommodation. This has enabled individuals to effectively comply with public health guidance and mitigated pressures on Local Authorities. Procurement of enough Dispersed Accommodation (DA) is the only sustainable solution to use of contingency accommodation and that can only be achieved with the co-operation of Local Authorities. The Home Office has continued to engage extensively with Local Authorities, other government departments and stakeholders, which includes members of the voluntary and community sector to plan an appropriate resumption to termination of statutory support that takes account of competing capacity and community pressures. We have tasked our Strategic Migration Partnerships to support us in working with Local Authorities to support a collective approach to increasing dispersal participation and assisting those who are no longer eligible to ‘move-on’ from asylum accommodation in order to achieve the level of procurement required to reduce use of contingency accommodation in their areas. This work will report upward to the Home Office Local Government Chief Executive Group (HOLGCEX).