Home – A place for everyone

During Homelessness Awareness Week (4th to 11th December), NACCOM partnered with the Law Centre NI and Housing Rights to host an event exploring collective solutions for people in the asylum and immigration system who are experiencing destitution in Northern Ireland.

On 3rd December, organisations working in the refugee, migration and housing sectors came together in Belfast to share expertise, good practice and insights in a heartfelt show of commitment to solidarity and collective action. The aim was to create a space for shared thinking and planning to prevent and end homelessness amongst refugees and other migrants with restricted eligibility in Northern Ireland. Responding to migrant destitution and homelessness benefits not just individuals, but communities too. Everyone, regardless of immigration status, deserves a place to call home.

A sharp rise in homelessness

As NACCOM trustee Jonny Darling said in his opening remarks, the present political moment provides both great challenges and opportunities in Northern Ireland, and across the UK more widely.

Indeed, new data from NACCOM released in November revealed a sharp rise in destitution and homelessness amongst refugee and migrant communities across the whole UK due to hostile asylum and immigration policies as well as the housing crisis. 2023-2024 was the first year on record that the NACCOM network has accommodated over 4,000 people in one year (4,146 in total) – a concerning milestone. The network provided accommodation for 11% more people than last year, and 82% more than in 2021/22. 4,212 people were given financial support by members. This is 10% more than in 2022-23.

The frequent changes to UK immigration and asylum policy by successive Westminster Governments has had a stark impact on individuals and frontline services in Belfast and across dispersal regions in Northern Ireland.

To illustrate how this challenge plays out on the frontline, Ryan Doherty from Starling Collective, an organisation based in Belfast working with refugees and asylum seekers, told us they have noticed that demand for their services is rising month-on month.

Similarly, Tom Dinnen from Hosford Community Homes, said that housing was the single biggest issue faced by their service users. Many Northern Irish charities in the sector say that they are struggling to respond to rising need. The lack of legal aid means that people cannot access the specialist support and advice they need.

Faith Westwood from Housing Rights told us that the numbers of people experiencing housing need in Northern Ireland is going up year-on-year, with insufficient stock to meet demand. Rents increased by 10% in the last year alone. On top of this, the suitability, standard and precarity of temporary accommodation is an ongoing issue.

A challenging local context

Unfortunately anti-immigration sentiment is on the rise in Northern Ireland which is making the context for refugee housing even more challenging. During the far-right riots in Belfast in summer 2024, the housing crisis was weaponised and used to incite violence against people in the asylum and immigration system. People are living in fear of further violence.

Housing law is devolved to Northern Ireland as is the responsibility for refugee integration. However, participants highlighted the lack of strategic direction and leadership. Northern Ireland’s Refugee Integration Strategy, which The Executive Office committed to developing two decades ago, remains in draft form. Further, there is no Strategic Migration Partnership in place in Northern Ireland. It is no surprise then that there is limited joined-up thinking between services, including when people obtain their refugee status.

During the event we heard from experts by experience, including Rayan who is a single mother from Sudan who moved to Northern Ireland to seek asylum. For her first year here, she and her two children were placed in a single room in a hotel with no cooking facilities. She described the isolation and constant security checks in the hotel, explaining that “it felt like a prison in many ways.”

After a year, Rayan was moved to more suitable Mears accommodation, but on gaining her refugee status was evicted and placed by the Housing Executive in shared accommodation in Portrush, despite the crucial mental health services her son had been accessing in Belfast. She spoke of how there was a large camera in the shared areas of their Portrush accommodation and that staff and even strangers would enter the property without notice. Rayan explained, “It felt invasive and dehumanising, and lasted far longer than what I had been told.” Based on her first-hand experiences, Rayan highlighted the essential need for:

  • accessible mental health services for asylum seekers and refugees in crisis
  • workshops for newcomers to provide guidance on life in NI and support available
  • training for staff working with refuges and asylum seekers on cultural sensitivity
  • NIHE and Mears to work together to avoid sudden and distressing relocations when people gain their refugee status.

We also heard from Mr M A Ahmed, who sought asylum from Sudan. When he arrived in Northern Ireland, he was no permitted to work and ended up sofa surfing, unable to buy even basic items. “I could not even buy sweets for my kids,” he told us. A friend connected him with Starling Collective who provided wide-ranging support including finance and legal advice and supported him back into the system. He now has leave to remain and is rebuilding his life, but he still faces challenges including finding suitable accommodation so that he is allowed to see his children more regularly.

Liz Griffith, Head of Migration Justice at Law Centre NI, sought to inspire attendees by challenging the narrative that immigration law being a matter for Westminster limits Northern Ireland’s ability to mitigate its worst impacts.

She emphasised to participants that, despite the implementation of hostile environment policies in other regions of the UK, Northern Ireland has a longstanding tradition of approaching issues differently. For instance, the ‘right to rent’ scheme does not apply in Northern Ireland, and the Department for Communities (DfC) does not collaborate with the Home Office to report migrant rough sleepers to immigration enforcement.

Liz also reminded statutory agencies that access to adequate accommodation constitutes a human rights issue, underscoring their responsibilities as duty bearers in this context.

Collective solutions for change

The refugee and migrant sector is working creatively and collaboratively to safely accommodate those at risk. Learning from experiences from organisations in other devolved nations can be helpful.

At the event, we heard from Lynne McMordie from the Institute for Social Policy, Housing and Equalities Research (I-SPHERE) about the enormous toll the hostile UK asylum and immigration system is having on people in Scotland. The report ‘Destitution by Design: Righting the wrongs of UK immigration policy in Scotland’ sets out urgent recommendations to all levels of government and others to mitigate this humanitarian crisis.

NACCOM’s work with frontline organisations across the UK has highlighted many collaborative and innovative examples of accommodation and support provision, including hosting and lodging models. Tom Dinnen reflected that Hosford Community Homes is working in partnership with other organisations on a pilot to purchase houses in the community through a self-sustaining cross-subsidy model where rents would pay for the loan required. They are also developing accommodation solutions for people who are destitute in partnership with local charities such as Starling Collective.

Housing providers can also be inspired to work with the migrant sector on new programmes to ease housing stress and improve outcomes. At the event, we heard from East Belfast Mission, who shared their housing project as a model that can be replicated.

In addition, the UK Government’s hosting scheme Homes for Ukraine (HFU) has proven to be a successful national model. HFU has resulted in positive outcomes for Ukrainians in Northern Ireland, particularly in the area of employability, as evidenced by recent ONS data which showed that high levels (80%) of survey respondents living in Northern Ireland were either employed or self-employed. This was also echoed by The Executive Office’s own (as yet unpublished) research. Hosting models can, and should, be adapted for other groups experiencing housing stress.

The event also gave space for attendees to come together in groups to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities inherent to specific groups, including refugees, people with NRPF and people in need of emergency access to homelessness provision. “The event was an enlightening and impactful experience” reflects Lyndsay Donaldson from the Refugee & Asylum Seeker Support & Integration Division, at The Executive Office. “Examples of innovative solutions and collaborative working reinforced the power of partnerships and collective action in driving positive change.”

In all, the conference was “very interesting and insightful”, says Anthony Lavery from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, because it provided a valuable “stimulus for the exploration of what could be collectively achieved by a focused effort from the key stakeholders in Northern Ireland.”

Home is a place for everyone. Together we believe that housing is a basic human right. For people who have fled war, persecution and exploitation and are seeking safety in Northern Ireland, having a place to feel safe and call home is integral for them to rebuild their lives and thrive, not just survive.

For more information please email Katie Fawcett at NACCOM at development @ naccom.org.uk.