Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 127
Serious safeguarding issues, including hate crime, persist in asylum accommodation due to ineffective mechanisms.
Conclusion
We were disturbed to hear reports of serious safeguarding issues, including LGBT hate crime and violence against women, occurring in all types of asylum accommodation. Despite the asylum support contracts safeguarding framework, published in May 2022, many settings appear to lack effective complaints and safeguarding mechanisms. It is unacceptable that reported issues are routinely ignored.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government states that the safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers is paramount and that they have measures in place to protect vulnerable individuals, including working with accommodation providers, having a safeguarding policy, training staff, and a dedicated safeguarding team.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
127
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
The Home Office should conduct an urgent review of safeguarding policies and practices across all asylum support contracts, to ensure the asylum support contracts safeguarding framework is being consistently and effectively implemented in all settings. It should publish its review and an action plan within three months. We further recommend the Home Office increase contracted provision of female-only and family-only accommodation, and dedicated safe asylum accommodation for LGBT people.
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