Pressure is increasing on local authorities to support people to find housing quickly
The British Red Cross warned in a statement last week that Government efforts to clear the asylum backlog by the end of 2023 could result in tens of thousands refugees being made homeless.
New projections by the British Red Cross suggest that more than 50,000 refugees will be at risk of homelessness if asylum decision-making is sped up to enable the Government to meet its aim to eliminate the 'legacy' backlog this year. Even if claims continue to be processed at the current rate, around 26,000 people could still be at risk of destitution and homelessness.
The British Red Cross explains that speeding up asylum decision-making to reduce the backlog is putting an increasing amount of pressure on local authorities to support people to find housing quickly. When asylum seekers receive refugee status, they are given a 28 day 'move-on' period to transition from asylum support to mainstream benefits or employment. The British Red Cross says this is simply not enough time for most people.
Making matters worse are recent Home Office changes to the way in which the start of the 'move-on' period is implemented, which has seen some people receive only seven days' notice to move on.
"Around the time the government changed the way it implements the move-on, British Red Cross services have seen a 140% increase in destitution for people with refugee status. This was an increase from 132 people between 15 June – 31 July, to 317 people between 1 August – 15 September," the statement noted.
Based on its calculations, the British Red Cross estimates that 53,100 refugees could be pushed into destitution by the end of 2023.
Alex Fraser, British Red Cross Director for Refugee Support, said: "We have been calling for a more joined-up approach to support people since before the changes to the move-on period on 1st August. We're aware the Home Office is taking some action to address the issues. However thousands of people are already facing hardship, and the charities and local authorities supporting them are under pressure. These projected statistics show how urgent the situation is."
The British Red Cross called on the Government to immediately reverse the changes to the move-on period, and to extend the move-on period to 56 days to allow more time for newly-recognised refugees to find housing, employment or benefits.