NACCOM welcomes the new ministerial teams getting to work this week at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Home Office (HO) – led by Secretaries of State Angela Raynor (also Deputy Prime Minister) and Yvette Copper respectively – and we look forward to representing our frontline network and working meaningfully with the new Government, as well as cross-party groups, to end destitution in the asylum and immigration system across the UK.

Together, these two departments hold the key to ensuring that people going through the asylum system, and in the wider immigration system, aren’t driven into homelessness and destitution because of their immigration status, or denied support to enable them to move forward and rebuild their lives. As the rise in homelessness amongst migrant communities in recent months and years shows, without greater cross-departmental collaboration, and a concerted effort to address harmful immigration policies within the context of homelessness, we will continue to see migrants needlessly forced into hardship and destitution.

Whilst we have some indication about the priorities of the new Government in relation to immigration and asylum, further announcements are expected on key policy areas as the new Government assumes office. You can read about what the Labour Party (and other main parties) proposed on key issues relating to migration and homelessness in their manifestos, as well as our analysis of the policy offers.

Advocating for a fair, just and humane asylum and immigration system

As a network of frontline organisations that provide accommodation and support to people facing homelessness and destitution in the asylum and immigration system, NACCOM is committed to advocating for fair, humane and workable solutions and policies, shaped by insights, evidence and lived experience from people and organisations in the NACCOM network.

Bridget Young, NACCOM’s Director, outlines some of the key policy areas where urgent change is needed:

“We welcome the new Government’s decision to scrap the cruel and costly Rwanda plan on day one, which has caused so much misery and harm in migrant communities. However, this needs to be followed by a commitment to repeal the Illegal Migration Act, to allow people to move forward into the system and have their asylum claims processed.”

A new briefing by the Refugee Council shows that at the end of March 2024 there were nearly 120,000 men, women and children waiting for an initial decision on their asylum claim, with 27,000 appeals waiting to be heard (a four-fold increase from a year earlier).

Bridget continued: “Instead of focussing on deterrence, it’s vital that the new Government restores and respects the right to claim asylum in the UK.As well as ensuring safe routes, we needan asylum and immigration system that treats people fairly, by giving them access to justice through legal advice and processing claims in a timelyand orderly way, and providing decent, appropriate not-for-profithousing in the community, as well as abolishing cruel policies like NRPF.

This can only happen if policy-makers wake up to the interconnectedness of asylum, immigration, homelessness, poverty and housing, and understand that we will never see an end to homelessness without a systems-wide approach, or whilst the hostile environment remains a feature of our immigration and asylum system.”

Post-election joint work

NACCOM will continue to work with members and partners across the UK homelessness, refugee and migration sectors to call for policy and practice change in key areas at national, devolved and local levels, and to support and resource our members to connect and engage with decision-makers in their area and campaign for change.

Our shared General Election resources folder (members only) contains useful information and resources for the post-election period. If you cannot access the folder, please get in touch with Leon Elliott, NACCOM’s Policy and Research Coordinator.

➡️ Ending homelessness for all

NACCOM is working with Homeless Link on a Lloyds-funded national influencing project, which also involves collaboration with a wide-range of key partners across the homelessness, refugee and migration sectors, as well as NACCOM’s Community Researchers, to highlight the impact of homelessness amongst migrants, refugees and people in the asylum system. Our aim is to collectively put forward the policy solutions needed to ensure that homelessness can – and should – be ended for all, regardless of a person’s immigration status.

Central to this work are calls to extend the 56-day move-on period for everyone leaving asylum accommodation, extend the duty to refer to the Home Office, improve access to legal aid and advice, and create a cross-departmental taskforce to ensure greater collaboration and communication between all key Government departments, including the Home Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. As housing and homelessness are devolved issues, the project will involve the development of resources specific to devolved nations and their unique migration and homelessness contexts.

Resources and actions:

➡️ Fair Begins Here/Together with Refugees

Through the Together with Refugees (TWR) coalition – which NACCOM helps to shape as a governance group member of the Asylum Reform Initiative (the TWR’s governing body) – we’re joining the call for a fair new plan for refugees that works for everyone. This powerful collective includes grassroots, community and refugee-led groups (including many NACCOM members), international development charities, trade unions and faith groups. Together, we’re urging decision-makers to create a fair, humane and workable asylum system that treats people with humanity and dignity, and respects their rights.

Resources and actions:

  • Fair Begins Here promise: Organisations have been invited to sign the Fair Begins Here promise, to pledge their support, stand in solidarity with refugees, and take action to create a fairer asylum system.

➡️ Asylum Matters open letter

NACCOM has joined 300 organisations and over 500 individuals to write to the incoming Prime Minister urging him to fix our broken asylum system and to protect, rather than punish, people seeking safety.