Tens of thousands of asylum seekers risk homelessness as government works to clear backlog, Red Cross warns
The British Red Cross said its services have seen the number of people they support who have been granted refugee status but have become destitute more than double since early summer.
Thursday 5 October 2023 03:56, UK
Tens of thousands of asylum seekers could be at risk of homelessness as the government works to clear the so-called legacy backlog before the end of the year, the British Red Cross has warned.
The charity said 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.
It criticised changes it said the government has made to the time people are given to move out of asylum accommodation once they are given refugee status - the 28-day so-called "move on" period.
The charity said some refugees have had just seven days' notice and added that while reducing the asylum backlog and speeding up claims should be welcomed, it is putting "an increasing amount of pressure on local authorities to support people to find housing quickly".
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged that by the end of 2023 the government will clear the backlog of older cases which have been in the asylum system as of the end of June last year.
By the end of June this year there were 67,870 legacy asylum cases awaiting a decision.
The Home Office has previously insisted the government is "on track" to clear the backlog by the end of the year.
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The Red Cross has estimated, based on the percentage of people and dependents in the backlog who were in asylum accommodation in June last year, a worst-case scenario could see more than 53,000 people affected by having to leave their accommodation soon.
It suggested around 26,000 are at risk even if the backlog is not cleared by the prime minister's deadline.
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'Devastating levels of destitution'
The charity's concerns come after a similar complaint from the Refugee Council last month, which said while the notice period for people's granted refugee status had previously started when a person received their Biometric Residence Permit, it now begins when someone receives a grant letter telling them their protection claim has been accepted.
Both charities said they have therefore seen people left with too little time to move out of their asylum accommodation, with the Red Cross warning this "could lead to devastating levels of destitution".
The Red Cross repeated its request for the government to extend the move-on period to 56 days - to match the time period local authorities are given to work with households at risk of homelessness.
Alex Fraser, British Red Cross director for refugee support, said: "People who have been forced to flee their homes have already experienced unimaginable trauma. They need stability, support and to feel safe - making people destitute only causes more distress and hardship.
"Once they get refugee status, they need more time, not less, to find housing, work or benefits. It takes at least 35 days to start getting Universal Credit and local authorities need at least 56 days to help them find accommodation.
"Extending the move-on period would give refugees the support they need as they start to rebuild their lives."