11 December 2023: Diocese of London: Faith leaders call on Home Office to re-examine seven-day evictions practice
Leaders from faith and belief institutions across London have come together to jointly call on the Home Office to re-examine a recent change in practice which has meant that, since August, refugees are having much less notice that their asylum support will end than the stated policy of 28 days. Some are given seven days or less to leave their accommodation.
Many have been in asylum accommodation for months or even years, with no opportunity to work or build networks. They are now being given only days to navigate the various systems and authorities necessary to plan their next steps.
Many faith and belief organisations work together with those of all faiths, beliefs and none to support refugees and asylum seekers in a number of ways. Across London, churches, mosques, gurdwaras, synagogues and temples open their doors to receive asylum seekers and refugees. They are seeing demand for this support grow, overwhelmingly with the need to help those with new refugee status find accommodation.
The letter to the Immigration Minister, coordinated by the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd & Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, calls on the Home Office to:
- Re-examine Home Office practice, and work to ensure that all refugees have a minimum of 28 days from receiving their Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) before they are required to leave their asylum accommodation in line with Home Office policy.
- Urgently inform all councils and other relevant institutions that the notice of decision for the asylum claim is sufficient evidence for refugees to apply for housing and other support. An eviction letter is not required at this stage.
- Move to extend the eviction notice period to 56 days, given that the 28 day move-on period is incompatible with the application processing time for Universal Credit and other areas of government policy[1] and does not give newly recognised refugees the time to complete either of these processes.
View a copy of the letter here or read the text below:
Dear Ministers,
We write to you on behalf of our faith and belief institutions across London who are working to care for and support newly recognised refugees.
We welcome the prospect that the backlog of those waiting for their asylum claim to be decided will reduce, so that refugees can start moving on with their lives. We support the need to move people away from hotels, which are not the most ideal residences for those waiting for asylum or for the local communities in which they are placed.
However, we are concerned at the number who, on receiving their leave to remain, are becoming street homeless.
Many faith and belief organisations work together with those of all faiths, beliefs and none to support refugees and asylum seekers in a number of ways. Across London, churches, mosques, gurdwaras, synagogues and temples open their doors to receive asylum seekers and refugees. We are seeing demand for this support grow, overwhelmingly with the need to help those with new refugee status find accommodation.
Since August we know that in practice refugees are having much less notice that their asylum support will end than the stated policy of 28 days. Some are given seven days or less to leave their accommodation. Many have been in asylum accommodation for months or even years, with no opportunity to work or build networks. They are now being given only days to navigate the various systems and authorities necessary to plan their next steps.
Through relationships with our local councils, we are seeing the unbearable pressures they are facing, with insufficient resources to find emergency accommodation before these people are on the streets. The result is widespread and growing street homelessness.
Homelessness is a huge barrier for a new refugee to seek work, make an application for any benefit, or start to settle in the UK. No-one can build their life like this. We urge that the move to new accommodation needs to be done with careful planning, consultation with civil society partners and
local authorities, and over a longer period than a few days.
As faith and belief leaders we want to promote and encourage the integration into society that you have said is vital for those with refugee status.
In the short-term, we call on you to:
• Re-examine Home Office practice, and work to ensure that all refugees have a minimum of 28 days from receiving their Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) before they are required to leave their asylum accommodation in line with Home Office policy.
• Urgently inform all councils and other relevant institutions that the notice of decision for the asylum claim is sufficient evidence for refugees to apply for housing and other support. An eviction letter is not required at this stage.
• Move to extend the eviction notice period to 56 days, given that the 28 day move-on period is incompatible with the application processing time for Universal Credit and other areas of government policy and does not give newly recognised refugees the time to complete either of these processes.
As faith and belief leaders representing communities of faith and belief across our city, we believe that allowing refugees to begin life in the UK sleeping on the streets deeply undermines the core values of welcome, respect and responsibility which characterise our society at its best. We believe that refugees can thrive in and contribute to our communities; most are resourceful and resilient with skills and experience which will benefit the UK.
We urge you to rectify this failure in practice to uphold a 28-day move on period, with the intention of moving to a 56-day period as soon as this is achievable.
Yours sincerely,
Signatures include Fred Ashmore on behalf of the Steering Group of Quaker Asylum Seeker and Refugee Network (QARN)
23 November 2023: Diocese of London: The plight of refugees evicted at seven days’ notice
Refugees attending the weekly drop in at a West London Church share their fears at the prospect of homelessness.
Due to a recent Home Office change in practice, refugees receiving their leave to remain are becoming homeless in increasing numbers. This short film shares the experiences of both refugees and volunteers at EASE (Ealing and Acton Support Enterprise), a local community project hosted by a West London church, who support refugees and asylum seekers.
After waiting months, or years, for a decision by the Home Office, the receipt of the good news that someone has been granted refugee status should be a moment of excitement. Instead it is a moment of fear as newly recognised refugees are sent eviction letters.
The Red Cross estimates that it takes at least 35 days to start getting Universal Credit, and local authorities need at least 56 days to help with finding accommodation.
Mohamad attends the EASE drop in and has just had his refugee status granted:
“The letter said that I have to leave the accommodation in a week. I wish no one to be in the same situation I was in. Once the news arrived, I was shocked and started panicking.
The only thing that was going through my mind was the idea of sleeping outside in this weather in my 50s.”
EASE, like many other community organisations, faith groups and charities, works with people staying in local hotels waiting to hear about their asylum claim. Dedicated volunteers come together to provide a warm welcome at their weekly drop-in, as well as practical support in the form of food provision, English classes, and baby essentials for families.
Volunteers express their dismay as they witness newly recognised refugees who they have got to know, face the prospect of homelessness. Some have responded by welcoming refugees into their own homes through hosting.
Ally is one of the English language teachers at the drop in who is now hosting a refugee:
“They have worked so hard to get their English to a level. They desperately want to integrate, but they find it impossible to find anywhere to rent.
Anywhere they look at privately they need six months’ employment history. Anywhere they look to work, they want a permanent address. If they then become street homeless, it’s so difficult to recover from that.”
EASE and the Diocese of London (alongside other organisations supporting refugees) are calling for the government to uphold a 28 day move on period, with the intention of moving to a 56 day period as soon as possible.
We also urge the government to stop evictions during very low temperatures, at the very least when Severe Weather Emergency Protocol arrangements are activated.
As we await these necessary changes in practice:
- If you have a spare room, you can offer it to a refugee in need through a recognised hosting scheme. Two excellent hosting projects are run by Refugees At Home and Housing Justice Hosting Project. Or contact us to be connected to a hosting project, or to explore providing paid lodging for a newly recognised refugee.
- If you or anyone you know have properties you may be willing to rent to a refugee at Local Housing Allowance rate (less than market rate) please get in touch with us to explore this possibility.
- Church communities in the Diocese of London supporting newly recognised refugees experiencing homelessness can contact the Compassionate Communities team for support where desired. This will also help us to gather data to document the scale of the crisis.
- If you would like to know more about the work of EASE, you can get in touch with them.
https://www.london.anglican.org/articles/the-plight-of-refugees-evicted-at-seven-days-notice/