JRS UK calls for urgent reform as homelessness rises among refused asylum seekers and refugees

The Jesuit Refugee Service UK (JRS UK) last week released a new report highlighting the severe impacts of homelessness on people refused asylum in the UK, particularly in London.

The 32-page report, Destitute and in Danger: people made homeless by the asylum system, can be downloaded here.

Based on surveys conducted in late 2023, the report explores the experiences of individuals made destitute by the asylum system and examines how these challenges have been exacerbated by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The findings of the report paint a grim picture of life for people denied asylum, many of whom face street homelessness, couch-surfing, and exploitation in unstable accommodation. According to the report, over 13% of respondents were homeless at the time of the survey, and 43% had slept rough in the past year. The majority of those not in Home Office-provided accommodation faced precarious housing situations, with many staying in overcrowded, unsafe environments, or relying on friends' hospitality.

JRS UK stated: "This report reveals the human reality of asylum destitution: people who have come here in order to be safe and rebuild their lives instead spend years living in limbo, with no stable place to sleep."

Key issues identified in the report include the lack of control over where individuals can stay, the constant threat of homelessness, and the toll that destitution takes on both physical and mental health. Respondents reported anxiety, chronic sleep deprivation, and a deep sense of insecurity. Many also felt dehumanised by the system, which denies them basic dignity and stability.

JRS UK Director Sarah Teather emphasised the devastating effects of government policies that contribute to this crisis. She said: "People who sought safety here are plunged into homelessness and danger, left vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and life-threatening illness. This is not new. Some people we work with have lived like this for decades, as an intentional consequence of successive governments' policies."

The report also highlights the vulnerability of newly recognised refugees, who often face homelessness due to the short 28-day 'move-on' period following the issuance of their Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). Without the BRP, they are unable to secure housing or access financial support. Government figures show a 239% rise in households requiring homelessness support after eviction from Home Office accommodation between 2021 and 2023, with rough sleeping among refugees in London rising significantly during this period.

In a number of recommendations made in the report, JRS UK urges the Government to address the root causes of asylum destitution by ending the 'hostile environment' policy, which it argues systematically marginalises individuals without immigration status. It recommends abolishing restrictions that deny refused asylum seekers access to public funds, allowing them to work while their asylum claims are processed, and simplifying the route to settled status for long-term residents. The report also calls for extending the move-on period for newly recognised refugees from 28 to 56 days, providing more time for individuals to secure housing and support.

Additionally, JRS UK advocates for the repeal of the Illegal Migration Act 2023 and the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, which the report claims exacerbate destitution by prolonging asylum processes. For local government, the report recommends widening eligibility for homelessness support to include those with no recourse to public funds and ensuring robust data protection policies to encourage asylum seekers to seek help without fear of immigration enforcement.

The report says in concluding: "This situation is not an accident, but a consequence of a government policy of manufacturing destitution among people refused asylum. Specifically, government policies barring people refused asylum from working or accessing public funds cut off routes out of homelessness that are available to others. It is far from new. Indeed, some people who responded to our survey had been in this situation for decades. Change is long overdue. Now, we face the implementation of laws that could extend asylum destitution to many others, and cut off any route out of it. We are in a cost-of-living crisis where the most vulnerable are at ever greater risk. We have choices to make about what kind of society we want to be. It is long past time to end destitution."