Six-month pilot to run from 9 December gives new refugees more time to find housing and employment
The Home Office is to extend the 28-day 'move-on' period given to newly recognised refugees to leave their asylum accommodation, doubling it to 56 days.
According to BBC News, the new measure takes effect from next Monday, 9 December. The Home Office said it is "an interim measure" that is expected to be in place until June 2025, when it will be reassessed.
Image credit: UK GovernmentAccording to the Standard, a letter from the Home Office to stakeholders says that the six-month pilot will be independently evaluated "to explore delivery and value for money and gather stakeholder perceptions on effectiveness".
The Local Government Association (LGA) welcomed the news, noting it would give new refugees more time to find housing and employment, which would reduce the risk of homelessness and destitution.
Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, also welcomed the news, saying: "It is genuinely positive that the government is putting in place a pilot to give refugees more time to move on with their lives.
"For too long refugees have been at risk of becoming homeless at exactly the point the Government grants them safety. Extending the time people have to move on should give men, women and children who have lost everything more of a breathing space to find accommodation and work as they rebuild their lives and contribute to our communities.
"But it's equally important that people receive the right documents at the right time which should be at the beginning of the move on period. Without this safeguard, we remain concerned that people who have come to this country in search of safety will continue to be made homeless as a result of bad practice."