NACCOM’s latest Annual Survey data reveals that thousands of people in the UK’s asylum and immigration system are facing a growing crisis of destitution and homelessness as a direct result of hostile and ever-changing policies from consecutive governments.

Our annual data briefing, ‘Understanding destitution and homelessness in the asylum and immigration system’, shows that Government policy is causing an entrenched migrant homelessness crisis, with no let up in soaring levels of homelessness and destitution during the 2024-25 period. Our unique data set underscores the profound trauma and injustice endured by people in a punitive, failing system who are rendered homeless and without adequate means of support due to their immigration status.

The period covered by this briefing included a change of government, a summer of rioting organised by the far right and the steady drip of anti-immigration sentiment into mainstream politics. Government rhetoric has remained hostile and our members are having to deliver their vital work in the context of increased threats to their own safety, as well as the safety of the people they are supporting. This year’s data reveals the increasing scale and complexity of the challenges faced by grassroots organisations struggling to plug the significant gaps left by statutory services.

It has never been more urgent to fight for a welcoming society – one where people seeking asylum, refugees and other migrants are free from destitution and homelessness and can live with dignity and agency as part of their community. To this end, our executive summary also lays out a set of recommendations for policy reform.

Key findings and insights from the briefing:

There is an entrenched migrant homelessness crisis

• NACCOM’s network of frontline members accommodated 4,434 people – more than in any previous year since their records began in 2013.
• The number of people rough sleeping at the point of accessing services (829), while comparable to last year’s figure (850), is significantly higher than in the two years prior (378 in 2022/23, and 163 in 2021/22).
• Nearly two-thirds (65%) of our members believe the shift to a digital-only system using eVisas is to blame for an increased risk of homelessness because it became harder to access Universal Credit and find housing and employment.

Refugees are being failed by statutory services and a shortened move-on period

• Despite being entitled to access some form of state support, 2,008 refugees were accommodated by the network this year, a 3% increase on 2023/24 and a 106% increase on 2022/23.
• 71% of our survey respondents reported the temporary extension of the move-on period to 56 days, which ended in September, had reduced the risk of homelessness amongst refugees.

NRPF conditions are forcing people into destitution

• NACCOM members accommodated 1,509 people with restricted eligibility or No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) in 2024/2025. The most commonly-supported group (at 912 people) were adults who have been refused asylum and are considered ‘appeal rights exhausted’.

Charities can’t plug the gap caused by the legal aid emergency

• 65% of NACCOM members delivering advice reported that demand for legal advice was higher this year than last, and of those, 64% said they were unable to meet that rise in demand.

Bridget Young, Director of NACCOM, said:

“Our survey findings paint a bleak picture of a continuing crisis with no end in sight. Successive governments have expanded the hostile environment through constant, reactive policy changes that make it easier for people to fall into destitution and homelessness, and harder to find a way out. Any cross-government strategy to end homelessness will fail unless it tackles these structural barriers.

“The survey period coincided with a terrifying summer of rioting organised by the far right and anti-immigration sentiment has continued to creep into mainstream politics, encapsulated by recent policy announcements that are set to increase homelessness and destitution further.

“Despite this, organisations within our network have once again supported more people than ever, developing new services and responding to rising demand and showing an unwavering commitment to offering stability, dignity, and support to those forced into homelessness and destitution by immigration policy.”

Case studies

Asylum Welcome, a charity supporting people seeking asylum, refugees and vulnerable migrants in Oxfordshire, said:

“Many people may not realise that the move-on period for newly recognised refugees is now just 28 days — an impossible timeframe in which to sort out universal credit, set up a bank account and secure housing — helping drive a growing homelessness emergency.
“In Oxford this autumn, 48 newly recognised refugees were evicted from asylum accommodation in a single month, with many left sleeping rough. These are people, including torture survivors from countries such as Sudan, whose claims for protection have been accepted by the government, yet who are still left on the streets in an increasingly hostile climate. Many of this group have very little English and have been in the UK for less than 6 months. While we work tirelessly to support people into housing and are able to provide temporary accommodation for some refugees through our hosting service, demand far outstrips availability, and there are moments when all we can offer is a sleeping bag. Some of these refugees who have been rough sleeping have also faced assault and had their few belongings trashed by a few individuals supporting anti-immigrant protests.
“The failure of state systems to protect vulnerable people is painfully clear in stories like that of Mariam*, a former Afghan defence lawyer who fled after being arrested and threatened by the Taliban. After finally being granted refugee status late last year following months in asylum accommodation, she was evicted with very little notice and left homeless shortly before Christmas — a stark reminder of how profoundly refugees are being failed at the very moment they should finally be safe. Increasingly, it feels as though grassroots charities like Asylum Welcome are carrying the weight of this systemic failure in ever more volatile conditions. We cannot do it alone.”

*Name has been changed

A charity that provides specialist support to people seeking asylum and refugees in Wales said:

“2025 began with a shock. Our organisation was targeted by a wave of far-right misinformation on social media, escalating to death threats against senior staff and forcing us to temporarily close our offices to protect both our team and the people who rely on our services. For some, that closure meant losing access to the trusted support they depend on to get through each day. Despite the constant threat of defunding and a volatile policy environment that drives demand ever higher, we remain steadfast in upholding the values Wales stands for. We look to a future where sanctuary works for everyone — building safe, connected communities that understand and support one another.”

A grassroots community organisation in England said:

“Over the past year, sustained pressure from a Labour government’s shifting immigration and asylum policies, coupled with rising levels of need, has stretched our services to their limits. We have seen a worrying resurgence of overt racism and far-right intimidation. This atmosphere echoes a bygone era and directly affects the safety of the people we support and the staff and volunteers who stand beside them.”