Andy Drozdziak
Catholic refugee charity JRS UK has blasted the government policy of ‘rapid evictions’ after a shocking warning that tens of thousands of refugees could end up having to sleep rough this Christmas.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said councils across England and Wales are facing a “perfect storm” this festive season amid high demand for temporary accommodation.
The warning comes despite charities expressing concern that people who have been granted refugee status are not being given enough notice to find other places to stay when they are asked to move on from asylum accommodation.
Dr Sophie Cartwright, Senior Policy Officer at JRS UK, told the Universe: “At JRS UK, we are increasingly seeing newly recognised refugees forced into homelessness by the deliberate policy of rapid evictions. For years, government policies have forced people seeking safety here into destitution.”
Last month, the British Red Cross reported its services have seen the number of people they support who have been granted refugee status but who have become destitute more than double since early summer.
The LGA has listed a number of asks of Government, including making sure people have the full 28 days’ notice they have been promised before they have to leave Home Office accommodation.
The ‘rapid evictions’ policy has meant that some have been given as little as a week’s notice, although immigration minister Robert Jenrick rejected this when it was put to him in Parliament last month, saying the Home Office’s policy remains 28 days.
A key area of JRS UK’s work is in advocating for the rights of refugees and for policies that protect refugees and allow them to flourish. Dr Cartwright outlined the stark consequences of the policy. “Many people are sleeping on the streets or riding night buses just to get some warmth and shelter. And this is not occurring in a vacuum,” she said.
Like many other charities, JRS UK, with the help of its supporters, is providing accommodation and other urgent assistance. Seeking to raise awareness of policy issues that shape refugees’ lives and experience, Dr Cartwright believes that fundamental change is required in responding to the treatment of refugees, with JRS UK calling for ‘a radically reformed asylum system.’
“The current crisis must be a wake-up call for systemic change to end destitution,” she said.
LGA chairman Shaun Davies said councils are “facing a perfect storm in the run up to Christmas which could see tens of thousands of refugees having to sleep rough”.
He said: “Pushing tens of thousands of refugees out of Home Office accommodation on to councils will overload the system and mean they simply cannot provide for these vulnerable people’s needs.”
He added that asylum seekers ‘need as much notice as possible before they have to leave their accommodation.’
Urgent funding is needed, he added, to help councils put in place local support to minimise risks of destitution, overcrowding and street homelessness.
A Government spokesperson said: “Once someone is informed that their asylum claim has been granted, they get at least 28 days’ notice to move on from their asylum accommodation.
“Support is offered to newly recognised refugees by Migrant Help and their partners, which includes advice on how to access Universal Credit, the labour market and where to get assistance with housing.”
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