Recommendation 38

HM Government Not Addressed

Replied together with 50. The experience of the pandemic has demonstrated the importance of implementing this Committee’s previous recommendations both in respect of asylum accommodation and immigration detention. We welcome the Home Office’s commitment to proceed carefully “back to a more normal state of affairs”. We also welcome its commitment to talk to local government and to take public health advice seriously in respect of asylum accommodation. We will hold the Home Office to account on these commitments. However, we are deeply concerned about the lack of clarity on the Home Office’s plans to end temporary support to those in the asylum support system, following the formal expiry of the provisions on 30 June. (Paragraph 204) 51. On 5 June, the Housing Secretary announced a two month extension, until the end of August, of the suspension of evictions from social or private rented housing to protect tenants and landlords during the pandemic. (Paragraph 205) 52. We urge the Home Office to follow MHCLG’s lead and to agree jointly with local authorities, devolved nations and third sector partners a sensible and fair extension to the current measures in place for asylum seekers that reduces the public health risk for them and for the local community. Any extension to these measures should take account of the potential heightened risk of vulnerable asylum seekers becoming ill from COVID-19 if temporary support and accommodation is withdrawn; sufficient time should be provided for asylum seekers who have been granted refugee status and those who have been refused asylum to access appropriate financial and accommodation support. The Home Office should also ensure that its approach to ending cessations is phased to ensure that changes do not overwhelm other services. It should give due consideration to any impact that its decisions may have on the already stretched capacity of local authorities. (Paragraph 205) We welcome the Committee’s recognition of the additional and extended support that the Home Office has provided to asylum seekers whose claims have been fully determined. The decision to temporarily extend support and accommodation for those who would otherwise no longer be eligible was undertaken in consultation with Public Health Agencies across the UK and in accordance with our Public Sector Equality Duties. We are grateful to local authorities across the UK for their part in supporting these efforts. As the committee notes, this additional demand has also placed pressure on the asylum accommodation system and meant that many new asylum seekers have had to spend far longer in temporary accommodation, such as hotels, than we want. As wider public health restrictions evolve, it is right that the asylum system respond to such changes to ensure we can continue to provide support to those who are entitled to it and enable people to move onto the next phase of their lives as quickly as possible. We recognize that this is a complex undertaking that must be delivered at pace in a safe and proportionate way. Following careful discussion and planning with Public Health Agencies, Local Authorities, other government departments and stakeholders, which included members of the voluntary and community sector, we have since August resumed cessations in a phased approach. The first phase began by enabling those granted refugee status to move from asylum support first. Cessation of support for those whose asylum claims have been refused, and who are appeal rights exhausted will resume in later phases only as individuals are able to take steps to return to their country of origin. This includes responding to local and national changes in health restrictions. We will continue to listen and work closely with stakeholders including the devolved administrations and those in non-government throughout the recovery period to ensure that every individual can move on from asylum accommodation safely in line with local health advice.