Our campaigning priorities

The Illegal Migration Act (IMA) 2023, which became law under the Conservative Government in July 2023, has had a profound impact not just on migrant communities, but also voluntary sector organisations supporting people in the asylum system, creating fear, trauma and driving people to disengage with vital services.   

Whilst the Home Office under the 2024 Labour Government took immediate and positive steps to mitigate some of the most harmful aspects of the IMA, including scrapping the Rwanda deportation plan, and enabling people with ‘inadmissible’ claims to enter the system and have their claims processed, it nonetheless remains a hugely damaging piece of legislation.  

The changes introduced by Labour fall short of repealing the IMA in its entirety, the principle of which is still in violation of the UK’s human rights obligations, grants unprecedented high levels of power to the Home Secretary, and has caused fear, precarity and uncertainty in migrant communities for over a year.  

Together with our members and partners, we are urging the Government to repeal the Illegal Migration Act, in order to fully respect, restore and protect the right to claim asylum in the UK.  

A major driver of homelessness amongst people leaving the asylum system is the move-on period, when people are asked to leave asylum accommodation and their support is stopped. Currently, people are given only 21 days (after a refusal) or 28 days (after a positive decision) before their support ceases and they are evicted from their accommodation. This pushes many people into the trauma of homelessness and destitution, as they simply do not have enough time to find alternative accommodation, employment and apply for other types of support (for example Universal Credit for new refugees).  

The NACCOM network has seen a marked increase in levels of homelessness amongst refugees over the past year, with the number of adults with refugee status supported by the network nearly doubling. Within this context, we also saw an 99% rise in the numbers of new refugees relying on voluntary sector accommodation as a pathway out of homelessness, as well as a 129% increase in the number of people coming to the network from Home Office accommodation. 

In order to avoid driving more people into homelessness, the move-on period must be extended to at least 56 days for everyone leaving asylum accommodation, particularly as Government seeks to clear the asylum backlog. This would be in line with the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 in England and would create a central and consistent minimum standard across asylum support in the UK, enabling people to access vital support to prevent their homelessness.  

Extending the move-on period to 56-days would significantly reduce the risk of homelessness and destitution amongst people leaving the asylum system.  

The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 introduced a duty on several public authorities to refer service users at risk of homelessness to Local Authority homelessness teams, but the Home Office was not one of the public authorities included. The Home Office and any relevant contractors such as accommodation providers, should have a statutory duty to refer people to homelessness services if they are made to leave their asylum accommodation and are at risk of homelessness. Any commitment to end rough sleeping for good can only be fulfilled if everyone is able to access statutory homelessness support, regardless of immigration status.   

Introducing a duty to refer would significantly reduce the risk of homelessness amongst people exiting asylum accommodation.  

Ensuring that all people seeking asylum in the UK can obtain good quality legal help and representation, and can uphold their rights and access justice throughout the asylum process, is a central part of any fair, functional and efficient asylum system.  

However, there are extensive areas of limited or no legal aid provision, and two-thirds of people have no access to an immigration and asylum provider in their local authority area. A properly funded, resourced and regulated legal aid sector, which is accessible to all, will reduce the asylum backlog, prevent people from receiving unjust refusals or withdrawals, and ensure that people can resolve their immigration status and move forward out of destitution.  According to the latest statistics, nearly half (48%) of negative asylum decisions are overturned on appeal. 

As the Government increases asylum decision-making, whilst also ramping up enforcement, including detention and removals, it’s essential that people can access legal advice at every stage of the asylum process, to ensure they get a fair hearing on their claim. The Government must end the existence of legal aid deserts and ensure that those in need of legal aid can access it. 

Reforming the legal aid system will empower people to move on from destitution.  

Research shows that a lack of understanding of the asylum system is a fundamental barrier to a fair and just process, and a driver of destitution, as people are not equipped with the knowledge to make informed decisions in their own best interests. Introducing statutory processes to ensure that communication from the Home Office is clear, accessible and explains the support and options available to people at each stage of the asylum process, including when they exit the asylum system, will empower people to take a more informed and active role in their claim from beginning to end.  

Improving information pathways for people in the asylum system will help to stop people falling into destitution. 

In the UK, people seeking refugee status are banned from working while they wait months, and often years, for a decision on their asylum claim. Instead, they are left to live on just £6.77 per day, struggling to support themselves and their families, whilst the Government wastes the talents of thousands of people. Giving people seeking asylum the right to work means they can use their skills and live in dignity, not destitution. It could also benefit the UK economy by £333 million each year.   

As part of the #LiftTheBan coalition, we are urging the next Government to give people seeking asylum the right to work. 

 

No one should become, or remain, homeless because of their immigration status. And yet, each year thousands of migrants are forced to endure the trauma and indignity of homelessness because they face barriers to accessing vital support.   

Preventing homelessness must be a considered part of the immigration system, alongside greater collaboration with housing, welfare, and voluntary and statutory services, and improved recourse to justice through our legal systems. Together with Homeless Link, we’re advocating for policy and practice change to ensure that the immigration system no longer drives homelessness, and instead contributes to a shared goal of preventing and ending homelessness for all. 

We are championing vital solutions to end migrant homelessness. 

NACCOM is part of the newly expanded Asylum Reform Initiative (ARI) Governing Group, a collaboration between the key national refugee and asylum charities, through which we are proud to represent our members and our collective work, and ensure that ending homelessness and destitution is a considered part of advocating for asylum and immigration system reform. As part of the Together with Refugees coalition, our work to design homelessness and destitution out of any system fits with coalition calls for ‘A proper strategy for welcoming refugees by ensuring fair, rapid decisions on their application for asylum, and the chance to rebuild their lives through settling in a community, being allowed to work and the chance to learn English.’ 

We are fully supportive of the Fair Begins Here campaign, which aims to unite and mobilse broad and diverse support for a fair new plan for refugees.