We’re pleased to publish a new briefing on levels and experiences of destitution in the asylum and immigration system, based on the findings of NACCOM’s Annual Survey data 2022.

The briefing is based on data collected from NACCOM members in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland between April 2021 and March 2022 and includes recommendations on asylum and immigration policy aimed at the UK Government. An ‘England-only’ version of the briefing includes references to ‘Ending Rough Sleeping for Good’ and is tailored specifically for England.  

Who is the briefing for?

Decision-makers, agencies, organisations and individuals working in the refugee, migration and homelessness sectors.

What is NACCOM’s Annual Survey? 

Each year we survey our frontline members to map the scale of homelessness and destitution across the network. This year we received 85 responses to our survey, including from 55 of our members who delivered accommodation across a reporting period of April 2021 to March 2022.

The yearly data maps the scale and impact of homelessness and destitution experienced by people the NACCOM network supports, and reveals a devastating picture of an asylum and immigration system that routinely leaves people without stable accommodation and unable to meet their basic needs as they try to resolve their immigration status.

A combination of factors, which includes the lack of robust reporting mechanisms from the Government on the number of people with NRPF, a hesitancy to engage with services, and the pervasiveness of informal and insecure accommodation (e.g., sofa surfing) within the migrant homeless population, makes calculating the number of people in the asylum and wider immigration system who are forced to endure destitution because of their immigration status extremely challenging.

Whilst we acknowledge that the data collected in our Annual Survey represents just the tip of the iceberg, each year it provides a unique insight into the trends in migrant homelessness, as reported by the frontline organisations who provided vital support services to this group. This year it provides fresh evidence of the ways that policies developed by Government serve as direct and indirect drivers of homelessness for people seeking asylum and other migrants – and a concerning insight into the significant number of people whose needs could not be met. 

For more information or any queries relating to the Annual Survey Data briefing 2022, please contact NACCOM’s Policy and Research Coordinator, Leon Elliott.