Fourth Report: Home Office preparedness for COVID-19 (Coronavirus): institutional accommodation

The government's response is a truncated title and provides no substantive information regarding early access to Covid-19 testing for asylum seekers in shared facilities.

The government provided no substantive response to the committee's concern regarding the lack of readily accessible online guidance for local health managers on COVID-19 testing in asylum accommodation.

The government provided no substantive response to the recommendation to urgently publish a clear policy on residential testing for outbreaks.

The government response is a page reference and does not address the recommendation that vulnerable people should not be placed in shared accommodation or facilities.

The government response was a reference to another document and did not address the committee's conclusion regarding the pressing need for resolution of accommodation issues due to the potential for a second COVID-19 outbreak.

The government provided no substantive response to the committee's concerns regarding the continued use of shared accommodation for unrelated adults in asylum dispersal contracts.

The government outlined its expectations for contractors and existing measures for supporting vulnerable individuals during the pandemic, including the Migrant Help service, but did not commit to writing to the Committee within 4 weeks to detail provider accountability mechanisms for individual cases.

The government acknowledges that extended stays in initial accommodation are not a long-term solution and they prioritize moving vulnerable service users. They are monitoring stays and inviting local authorities to collaborate on increasing dispersal accommodation, but do not commit to reconsidering medical services, subsistence payments, or children's educational support during the extended stays.

The government stated that following careful discussion and planning, cessations of support resumed in a phased approach starting in August, with those granted refugee status moving first, and cessations for refused claims to follow later.

The government response provides only a reference number and does not address the committee's observation or welcome regarding the reduction in individuals detained in IRCs.

The government welcomes the committee's recognition and cites a High Court ruling endorsing its existing COVID-19 precautionary measures within immigration detention centres. It details various measures already in place to protect detainees, but explicitly states "no change" has been made to the Adults at Risk policy, thus not addressing the recommendation to seriously consider moving vulnerable individuals back into the community.

The government's response details measures taken in immigration detention regarding COVID-19, including detainee numbers and health precautions, but does not address the recommendation to communicate timely and accurate information to NGOs and service providers.

The government provides a generic response about its ongoing work during the pandemic to support people in asylum accommodation and immigration removal centres, but does not address the specific recommendation to make the extension of asylum support permanent.

The government rejects the premise of a single COVID-19 strategy across different institutional settings and refers to general availability of PHE guidance. It does not commit to publishing the *specific* guidance that informed its decisions for asylum seekers or provide detailed confirmation of PSED adherence for those decisions, offering only a general statement.