Written evidence submitted by Regional Asylum Activism North West [HOL 75]

1. Who are we?

The Regional Asylum Activism project is here to inform and change attitudes about asylum seekers and refugees, and campaign for positive change to the asylum system. We operate in three regions of the UK: the North West, Yorkshire and Humber and the West Midlands. We work with charities, activists, local authorities and decision makers to explore local and national solutions to the issues faced by asylum seekers and refugees, including safe and legal routes, asylum decision making, homelessness and destitution and access to healthcare.

2. About this response

This response is submitted by the North West office of the Regional Asylum Activism project. It presents evidence from our local work with councils and charities to end asylum and refugee-related homelessness and destitution, as well as local evidence and statistics about the problem, and recommendations for addressing it. For further information, contact Estelle Worthington, Regional Asylum Activism Co-ordinator, North West, 07557983264| northwest@regionalasylumactivism.org.

3. Background

3.1 Refugees are people who have been forced to flee their home countries due to conflict and persecution in countries like Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia. Many arrive in the UK after having been threatened, detained, beaten or tortured. It is important to be clear that refugees are not illegal migrants. They have been recognised by the UK government as being in need of refugee protection due to a well-founded fear of persecution (for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion) after complying with a vigorous legal process. This is underpinned by the United Nations Refugee Convention 1951, to which the UK is a signatory. An asylum seeker is somebody who has applied for refugee protection and is waiting for the government to make a decision on their application.

3.2 The UK takes a very small proportion of the world’s refugees. The vast majority - 86% of the global refugee population - are hosted in the countries neighbouring key conflict zones. Refugees, people seeking asylum and stateless people make up just 0.24% of the UK population. By June 2015, Britain received just 4% of all asylum claims made in the EU over the last year. Germany, Sweden, France, Hungary, Italy and Austria all receive significantly more applications than we do, and more people arrived in Greece in July 2015 alone than have claimed asylum in Britain all year.

3.3 There are several routes to refugee protection in the UK. A small number of refugees arrive via the Gateway Protection Programme. The programme is operated by UK Visas and Immigration in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and is delivered by charities working in partnership with certain local authorities. It offers a legal route for up to 750 refugees to settle in the UK each year (the majority of whom are settled in the North West), and is completely separate from the standard procedure for claiming asylum in the UK. Individuals and families arrive with their refugee status confirmed, so have permission to work and can access housing and benefits. They are met by a resettlement team, which helps them to orientate and integrate. The Syrian vulnerable person resettlement programme was expanded in 2015 to allow for the resettlement of up to 20,000 Syrians over the next five years. Again, the programme is delivered by designated local authorities and includes integration support. Refugee Family Reunion is a formal route that allows refugees to apply for their partner or child to join them in the UK. However, the majority of people who are in search of refugee protection arrive in the UK as asylum seekers.

3.4 People seeking asylum are effectively not permitted to work in the UK while they await a decision on their application for asylum, so they have no choice but to rely on support from the Home Office. Those who have no other means of support – and many people have used what little resources they have getting to safety - receive accommodation on a no-choice basis in ‘dispersal’ areas up and down the country (accommodation is delivered by Serco, G4S and Clearel under the COMPASS contract). They receive £36.95 a week, or just £5.28 a day, from the Home Office to pay for their food, clothing, toiletries, transport and other essential items. This support is known as Section 95 support and it is equivalent to 52% of Income Support. In August 2015, support rates for children were cut drastically by 30%.

3.5 Asylum seekers spend many months on this support, living well below the poverty line. At the end of June 2015, more than 3,500 asylum seekers had been waiting more than six months for an initial decision on their application.

3.6 Proposals in the current Immigration Bill could increase destitution amongst all refused asylum seekers, including families with children.

4. Causes of homelessness for asylum and refugee-households, couples and single people

4.1 Unreliable decision-making at the Home Office combined with limited access to good legal advice for people seeking asylum means that many reach the end of the process without their protection needs being recognised and they are refused refugee protection. Over the last 3 years, more than 25% of initial decisions to refuse asylum in the UK have been overturned on appeal, pointing to flaws in the quality and reliability of asylum-decision making.

4.2 Following a refusal, Home Office accommodation and financial support is withdrawn.

4.3 Temporary support for refused asylum seekers at risk of destitution (known as Section 4) is only normally granted if the individual is making ‘reasonable steps’ to leave the UK. As many refused asylum seekers have very real fears of persecution in their countries of origin, many do not apply for Section 4.[1]

4.4 Some asylum seekers cannot return to their country of origin due to no fault of their own. Stateless individuals have no country to return to, whilst others have difficulties accessing the necessary travel documents from their governments. Individuals may also have a severe health condition that makes it impossible for them to travel.

4.5 Many asylum seekers come from countries where there is conflict, generalised violence and/or well documented human rights violations. Whilst they may not meet the narrow criteria for refugee status, they still hold very real fears for their safety in these countries. In some cases, our government actually agrees it is not safe for them to return home. For example, between 2002 and 2011, the government refused protection to thousands of Zimbabwean asylum seekers, but did not forcibly return any of them because it was not safe to do so.

4.6 Many newly granted refugees also fall into destitution as they are only given 28 days to leave their Home Office accommodation. Many find this is too short a transition period to look for a new home. Delays in National Insurance numbers being issued also prevent people finding a job or applying for mainstream benefits. This is known as the ‘move on’ period, where new refugees commonly become homeless for weeks before these issues are sorted out. Refugees can also lose access to JSA due to sanctions, often because their English is not yet strong enough to apply for work or they cannot understand their obligations under the job search agreement.

4.7 Dependents who have arrived via Refugee Family Reunion are also vulnerable to a period of destitution upon arrival. Although they are eligible for housing and benefits, they cannot apply for these until they arrive in the country. This can leave large families relying for weeks on the income or JSA payments of one individual and living in overcrowded conditions in a one or two bedroom apartment.

5. The impact of asylum and refugee-related homelessness have on individuals, communities and councils

5.1 Following a refusal on their application for asylum, with no permission to work, and no access to public funds, people who have come here to seek protection from persecution are forced to rely on charities, faith groups, family or friends for food, shelter and other basic necessities. If these individuals do not have access to these safety nets, they face the indignity and fear of life on the streets.

5.2 Destitution has incredibly damaging effects on the physical and psychological health of people seeking asylum. It places people at risk of exploitation and can force them to use survival strategies such as illegal working and prostitution. This causes utterly unnecessary suffering for the individual, but also has an effect on the wider community through, for example, risks to public health, impact on cohesion and community safety and added pressure on public services including the NHS and police.

5.3 Local authorities’ ability to help destitute asylum seekers is impeded by national policies and immigration law. However, in some circumstances[2] local authorities have a statutory duty to support people who are destitute and have no recourse to public funds. This has been a source of tension between local and national government. The National NRPF Network argues “the financial burden of providing support [to destitute asylum seekers] lies disproportionately with local authorities, who have little control over [the asylum] decision making process.” The NRPF suggests local authority services are “effectively a safety net for those in limbo.”[3] 

5.4 In the past there was some indirect investment in the local authorities where asylum accommodation was located via the Home Office’s COMPASS accommodation contract. Local authorities were contracted to provide a certain amount of accommodation, usually for families, while private providers and social landlords provided the rest. The income from this contract allowed local authorities to employ dedicated officers and in some cases whole asylum teams. This allowed local authorities to provide advice and signposting, and enabled them to communicate with the Home Office and run Multi Agency Forums to address the needs of asylum seekers.

5.5 The Home Office’s decision to transfer the COMPASS contract to three private providers (G4S, Serco and Clearel) has had various knock-on effects. Many of the asylum teams within local councils have been reduced or disbanded, so the capacity to co-ordinate support for vulnerable people with other statutory services and the local voluntary sector has been much reduced, as has the capacity of councils to offer advice, signposting and integration support. Likewise, councils sometimes used their discretion to allow an asylum seeker to stay on in accommodation on a temporary basis following an eviction notice. This is no longer within their power to do. This, coupled with cuts to local council budgets over the last few years, has reduced the amount of pro-active support councils are able to offer to prevent asylum and refugee-related homelessness.

5.6 Another factor that is increasing the level of destitution amongst this group is the lack of access to legal representation and advice services. Cuts to legal aid have meant that people whose case for asylum has been refused due to lack of evidence now struggle to secure legal representation to make a ‘fresh claim’ where they can present additional evidence to support their application. This not only affects the individuals’ legal case for asylum, it also prevents them from getting access to asylum support and accommodation (known as Section 4) because this is dependent on the individual being able to demonstrate they have an outstanding application lodged with the Home Office.

5.7 Advice about the asylum process and information about how to meet basic welfare needs used to be provided by Refugee Action and Refugee Council via a face-to-face ‘one stop shop’ type model. The Home Office has now awarded this contract to Migrant Help, where it is delivered over the phone. Asylum seekers struggle to access this service due to language needs, long delays and the cost of making calls from certain mobile networks. This means that many asylum seekers are struggling to get vital advice and information about their rights, and are thus becoming destitute despite in some cases being eligible for support.

5.8 The pressure to give advice, find emergency accommodation for those who are eligible, and respond to safeguarding referrals for vulnerable asylum seekers is being felt by councils in asylum dispersal areas.

5.9 This is why to date, 13 Local Councils (Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Kirklees, Liverpool, Manchester, Coventry, Glasgow, Bristol, Leicester, Oxford, Swansea and Cambridge) have passed motions or resolutions “deploring Government policies that force “‘all rights expired’ asylum seekers into destitution while they continue to fight for a safe haven from persecution” (Liverpool Asylum Seekers motion, 18th September 2013). Many of these demand that the Home Secretary bring an end to the national policies that are forcing asylum seekers into destitution.

5.10 In the North West, councils have additionally been raising concerns about the number of asylum seekers being dispersed to the region. They have argued that the North West takes a disproportionately high number of asylum dispersals. This puts pressure on schools and health services, with no additional investment from central government to offset these costs.

5.11 The Home Office releases data about the number of asylum seekers in receipt of Section 95 support on a quarterly basis. At the end of quarter 2, 2015 the North West had a total of 7,407 asylum seekers in receipt of S95 support (compared with 30,457 people nationally). The North West therefore takes nearly a quarter of all asylum seekers in Section 95 Home Office accommodation in the UK. Statistics for those on Section 4 and Section 98 support are not available by region, so the total number of asylum seekers hosted in the North West may be significantly higher. Roughly 50% of those who apply for refugee protection eventually get some form of protection in the UK. Of those who are refused, some will chose to return to their home country, others will be deported by the Home Office, but many remain here in the UK where they are destitute and have no permission to work.

6. How is asylum and refugee-related homelessness monitored and reported?

6.1 Nationally, the British Red Cross have supported more than 10,000 destitute people and their dependents in this situation in 2015. This is 1,000 more than 2014. More than 1 in 10 of Red Cross clients receiving emergency destitution support have actually already received refugee status. There are an estimated 2,000 destitute refugees and people seeking asylum living in Greater Manchester.

6.2 It is difficult to find accurate figures for the number of destitute asylum seekers as this is not captured by local authorities. This is principally because local authorities do not have a duty to assist people with no recourse to public funds (with a few notable exceptions dealt with in paragraph 5.3).  Asylum and refugee-related homelessness is often not included in local homelessness strategies or Joint Strategic Needs Assessments. This is an oversight that needs to be addressed.

7. Evidence of local work by councils and voluntary organisations to tackle asylum and refugee-related homelessness, and recommendations for national policy change

Regional Asylum Activism Project in the North West has been working with councils, faith groups and the local voluntary sector to raise awareness about asylum and refugee-related destitution and identify local and national solutions.

On 27th November 2015, Regional Asylum Activism Project held a round-table on asylum and refugee-related destitution in partnership with Manchester Cathedral.

It was opened by Bishop David Walker and brought together MPs, council leaders, faith leaders, and representatives from the local refugee sector within Greater Manchester. The aim was to identify the impacts of refugee and asylum-related destitution on individuals, communities and councils in Greater Manchester and to use our collective knowledge to identify effective policy changes and practical actions to address this situation.

Appendix I is a briefing paper circulated prior to the round-table. It includes proposed policy solutions and proposed practical actions, as well as details of the actions councils elsewhere in the country have taken to tackle asylum destitution.

Appendix II is the round-table report. It includes a summary of the discussion points and agreed follow up actions, including for local councils.

The Strategic Alliance on Migrant Destitution brings together professionals from the homelessness, refugee and migrant sectors to create opportunities to work together more effectively to tackle this growing humanitarian problem. The primary focus of the Strategic Alliance is looking at organisations that work with non-EU destitute migrants.  The Alliance recently held a round-table event in Manchester on 19th January 2016. The aims were to:

• To improve joint working and understanding between migrant and homelessness organisations.
• To identify existing good practice that can be shared and replicated.
• To develop practical, sustainable, effective and efficient local solutions to migrant destitution.
• Gather, share and use evidence of what works to inform service providers, funders, commissioners and policy makers.
• To collate evidence from the North West, as part of the Ending Migrant Destitution series of events taking place across England.

Appendix III is the event summary.

Asylum Support Housing Advice (ASHA) was set up in October 2004. The charity’s central aims are to provide support, advocacy and advice for asylum seekers whose applications have been refused and fully determined, and whose status renders them homeless and destitute. They help people apply for Section 4 support, and also assist with Section 95 enquiries.

Appendix IV presents key statistics about ASHA’s work. It shows that there has been a marked rise in the number of clients seen since Migrant Help took over the asylum advice contract (see paragraph 5.7). For example, the number of clients seen in 2013 was 2,443, but this has increased in 2015 to 3,756 clients.

The British Red Cross runs a destitution project across Greater Manchester, which is delivered in partnership with a number of refugee support organisations in local boroughs. It provides food parcels and advice/ signposting support to destitute asylum seekers and refugees.

Appendix V presents key statistics for the project for Quarter 4 2015. This covers new service users only, with long-term service users are recorded separately. There were 183 new service users in Quarter 4, the most of whom were male. The majority of new service users were seen in Salford and Manchester (they attended the Rainbow Haven drop-in).

The majority of people seen by the project have historically been those who are at the end of the asylum process (are all rights exhausted and do not qualify for Home Office accommodation and support). However, in this Quarter, 43% of new service users were people who had been granted refugee status and were experiencing benefits delays or problems with housing (see paragraph 4.6). A further 30% were experiencing problems with their NASS (Home Office) support. 70% of service users were therefore people who were entitled to support, but had problems accessing it due to administrative and other delays at the Home Office and the Department of Work and Pensions. This demonstrates the need for a cross Ministerial approach to tackling homelessness.

February 2016

Appendix

1. Briefing Paper: Round-table on Asylum and Refugee-Related Destitution

2. Summary Report:  Round-table on Asylum and Refugee-Related Destitution

3. Strategic Alliance on Migrant Destitution, Ending Migrant Destitution series – Manchester: EVENT SUMMARY

4. Asylum Support Housing Advice, Statistics – 2 Feb 2016

5. Red Cross Destitution Project Q4 2015 statistics

Appendix I

Briefing Paper

Round-table on Asylum and Refugee-Related Destitution

Manchester Cathedral Visitor Centre, Cateaton Street, Manchester, M3 1SQ

Friday 27th November, 2.00- 4.30pm

We thank you for joining us for the Round-Table and giving your time to discuss this important issue.

Below is a briefing setting out key points for discussion at the meeting.

1.               About the Round-Table

The Round-Table discussion is hosted by Manchester Cathedral, in partnership with Regional Asylum Activism Project.

It will bring together MPs, Council leaders, faith leaders, and representatives from the local refugee sector. It will be opened by the Bishop David Walker and chaired by Canon David Holgate, with contributions from faith leaders, refugee sector representatives and MPs.

The aim is to identify the impacts of refugee and asylum-related destitution on individuals, communities and councils in Greater Manchester and to use our collective knowledge to identify effective policy changes and practical actions to address this situation.

We aim to create an open, informal atmosphere in which proposed policy and practical solutions can be discussed, and ideas shared on the way forward.

People seeking asylum have been forced to flee their home countries due to conflict and persecution. Many arrive in the UK after having been threatened, detained, beaten or tortured.

Asylum seekers are effectively not permitted to work in the UK while they await a decision on their application for asylum. Those who have no other means of support receive £36.95 a week, or £5.28 a day, from the Home Office to pay for their food, clothing, toiletries, transport and other essential livings needs (accommodation and fuel bills are paid for separately for those who have nowhere to live). This support is known as Section 95. In August 2015, support rates for children were cut drastically by 30%.

Asylum seekers spend many months on this support, living well below the poverty line. At the end of June 2015, more than 3,500 asylum seekers had been waiting more than six months for an initial decision on their application.

Proposals in the current Immigration Bill could increase destitution amongst all refused asylum seekers, including families with children.

When and why do people seeking asylum become destitute?

• Unreliable decision-making at the Home Office combined with limited access to good legal advice for people seeking asylum means that many reach the end of the process without their protection needs being recognised and they are refused refugee protection. Over the last 3 years, more than 25% of initial decisions to refuse asylum in the UK have been overturned on appeal, pointing to flaws in the quality and reliability of asylum-decision making.

• Following a refusal, accommodation and financial support is withdrawn.

• Temporary support for refused asylum seekers at risk of destitution (known as Section 4) is only normally granted if the individual is making ‘reasonable steps’ to leave the UK. As many refused asylum seekers have very real fears of persecution in their countries of origin, many do not apply for Section 4.

• Some asylum seekers cannot return to their country of origin due to no fault of their own. Stateless individuals have no country to return to, whilst others have difficulties accessing the necessary travel documents from their governments.

• Many asylum seekers come from countries where there is conflict, generalised violence and/or well documented human rights violations. Whilst they may not meet the narrow criteria for refugee status, they still hold very real fears for their safety in these countries and, in some cases, our government agrees it is not safe for them to return home. For example, between 2002 and 2011, the government refused protection to thousands of Zimbabwean asylum seekers, but did not forcibly return any of them because it was not safe to do so.

• Many newly granted refugees also fall into destitution as they are only given 28 days to leave their Home Office accommodation. Many find this is too short a transition period to look for a home. Administrative delays in National Insurance numbers being issued prevent people finding a job or applying for mainstream benefits.

What impact does destitution have?

The British Red Cross have supported more than 10,000 asylum seekers and their dependents in this situation in the UK so far in 2015. This is 1,000 more than 2014. More than 1 in 10 of Red Cross clients receiving emergency destitution support have actually already received refugee status. There are an estimated 2,000 destitute refugees and people seeking asylum living in Greater Manchester.

With no permission to work, and no access to public funds, people who have come here to seek protection from persecution are forced to rely on Charities, faith groups, family or friends for food, shelter and other basic necessities. If these individuals do not have access to these safety nets, they face the indignity and fear of life on the streets.

Destitution has incredibly damaging effects on the physical and psychological health of people seeking asylum. It places people at risk of exploitation and can force them to use survival strategies such as illegal working and prostitution. This causes utterly unnecessary suffering for the individual, but also has an effect on the wider community.

i) Support to meet living needs

Provide asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute with sufficient cash support so that they can meet their essential living needs until they are given permission to stay in the UK or return to their country of origin.

ii) Conditional permission to work

Grant asylum seekers permission to work (without restriction on type of work) if their case has not been resolved within six months or they have been refused, but temporarily cannot return home.

iii) Access to healthcare

Provide free access to primary and secondary healthcare for all asylum seekers while they are in the UK.

iv) Improved decision-making

Improve decision making so that all those in need of protection receive it and do not end up refused and destitute.

v) Help for those granted refugee status

End the destitution of people in the move-on period after getting refugee status by, for example, extending the move-on period to 40 days, to avoid a break in support.

4.               Proposed practical actions for discussion

The following practical actions have been proposed by local refugee support organisations:

Access to funding, shelter and legal advice for asylum applicants

• Creation of a destitution fund for Greater Manchester.
• Have a named person in each homelessness team and Children’s Services department to develop knowledge and expertise around people seeking asylum.
• Ensure that a quota of beds are set aside for people seeking asylum at local night-shelters.
• Make temporary housing available for refused asylum seekers who are discharged from hospital.
• Improve access to legal advice for people seeking asylum, e.g. for making fresh claims.

Help for refugees in the ‘move on’ period

• Local councils, Job Centre Plus, Serco and Home Office to hold a meeting to resolve administrative delays that are leaving people destitute after getting refugee status.
• Have a named refugee champion with knowledge and expertise about refugees at all relevant Job Centres.
• Local councils to develop local hosting schemes for refugees who become destitute in the move-on period, e.g. through ‘My Refuge’ site or using list of people who have come forward in response to calls to host Syrian refugees. However, this should not be treated as a replacement for permanent housing options. 
• Ask Social Landlords to commit to making a certain number of beds/ rooms/ homes available for refugees.

Inspiration from elsewhere

Here are some practical actions to relieve destitution already taken by other UK councils. Source:  https://regionalasylumactivism.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/ending_asylum_destitution_-_local_action_examples-5.pdf

1. Include destitution amongst asylum seekers and refugees in the authority’s Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, which can inform the authority’s homelessness strategy.
2. Ensure that Social Services work in partnership with the voluntary sector to identify asylum seekers who need support. Ensure that powers under the 1948 National Assistance Act, the 1970 Chronically Sick and Disabled Act, the 2006 NHS Act, 1989 Children Act, 2014 Care Act, and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, are used progressively to assist asylum seekers who are vulnerable, and to avoid destitution.
3. Fund or provide relief to organisations who are in a position to support and help prevent the destitution of asylum seekers.
4. Appoint a strategic lead officer to ensure that the Council responds to the needs of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.
5. Via Health and Wellbeing Boards or similar, review whether the locally enhanced services contracted from GPs by clinical commissioners are providing adequate and effective services to asylum seekers and refugees. Ensure that the mental health needs of destitute asylum seekers are considered as part of CCG commissioning arrangements.
6. Ensure that any child on asylum support or who is supported by the local authority is given free school meals.
7. Ensure that all council staff that are likely to have contact with asylum seekers receive training so that they are aware of the problems asylum seekers may face.
8. Provide and/or facilitate opportunities for asylum seekers to volunteer, including for projects which benefit the local community.
9. Provide and/or facilitate free English classes to asylum seekers and refugees.
10. Seek to improve the integration of refugees so they can fulfil their potential and contribute to local communities.
11. Encourage close working relationships with the voluntary sector to provide help, support and advice to applicants and enable a coordinated response to relevant issues.

Appendix II

Summary Report

Round-table on Asylum and Refugee-Related Destitution

Friday 27th November 2015

Thank you for joining us and/or expressing your support for the Round-table. Below is a brief summary of the main discussion points and agreed follow-up actions. We very much look forward to continuing to work with you to end the suffering of people who have come to Greater Manchester in search of safety, and find themselves facing poverty and homelessness.

1.               Discussion points

• There are already an estimated 2,000 destitute asylum seekers and refugees in Greater Manchester. Many have been in this situation for years. Refused asylum seekers generally have ‘no recourse to public funds’ so the help and support they can access is more limited than the wider homeless population. Refugee support organisations are struggling to meet the need.
• Refugees are also falling into destitution in the ‘move on’ period after getting refugee status.
• The personal testimony we heard demonstrated that destitution has an incredibly damaging effect on the physical and mental health of individuals. As well as causing unnecessary suffering, this puts added pressure on local health and social care services.
• An urgent opportunity: The Immigration Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament, threatens to increase the risk of destitution on three main counts. Firstly, the withdrawal of the right to appeal against removal from the country (known as ‘Deport first, appeal later’) is likely to force more vulnerable people underground and into destitution; secondly, the introduction of landlord checks is likely to push would-be refugee tenants into homelessness; and thirdly, the withdrawal of support from refused asylum-seeking families, changes to Section 4 support, and the removal of appeals against Home Office decisions to refuse support will lead to a large new group of people becoming destitute, including children.

1. Taking Urgent Action on the Immigration Bill

• Nationally:  Use our collective voices and political links to push amendments in House of Lords on issues outlined in section 1, especially in relation to children facing destitution.

• Nationally:  Call on Bishops to speak out and support progressive amendments .

• Locally: GM Councils to issue joint statement opposing withdrawal of support from children, committing to not implementing this policy locally and highlighting wider problem of destitution.

2. Broader Actions to Improve Asylum Policy

• Advocate for policy changes that would ensure people seeking asylum can meet their essential living needs and have end-to-end support in the asylum process.

• Advocate for the introduction of legislative time limits to force the Home Office to make decisions more quickly. (N.B. The quality and reliability of decision-making must be improved as part of this).  Legislative time limits should also apply to benefits processing and housing decisions.
• Call on all GM MPs to sign the Declaration on Permission to Work for people seeking asylum if their case has not been resolved within six months or they have been refused, but temporarily cannot return home.

• Use our collective voices and lobbying power to call for the closure of Yarl’s Wood detention centre.

3. Meeting Health and Social Care Needs of Asylum Seekers

• Nationally: Advocate for free access to primary and secondary healthcare to be provided for all asylum seekers while they are in the UK.

• Locally: Back proposals for creation of specialist primary care service for asylum seekers in Greater Manchester.
• Locally: Call for health and social care rights of asylum seekers and refugees to be prioritised as part of the Devolution Greater Manchester agenda.
• Locally: Working group and action plan to be launched to improve health and social care services for vulnerable asylum seekers.

Creation of a destitution fund for Greater Manchester

i. Identify priorities and scope for the fund. ii. Analyse funding options, including crowdfunding, Big Lottery funding and Manchester Immigration Needs Trust.

Pro-active assessment of eligibility for statutory support for vulnerable asylum seekers, and improving access to social care

i. GM Councils to carry out full needs assessment for asylum seekers at risk of destitution. Many may be eligible for some form of statutory support. (See Islington Council for model of best practice). ii. Identify opportunities for intermediate care pathway commissioned by Local Authorities/ NHS to be used for destitute asylum seekers.

Temporary housing options

Proposed actions include: i. Council properties to be transferred to local organisations to house asylum seekers and refugees. ii. Ensure that a quota of beds are set aside for people seeking asylum at local night-shelters. iii. Creation of a GM women-only night-shelter. iv. Make temporary housing available for refused asylum seekers who are discharged from hospital. v. Recognise vulnerable young refugees as a priority for housing in the move on period.

English language learning opportunities/ Access to ESOL

Develop a more joined-up approach accross GM, including: i. match up English teachers offering free teaching with those needing it. ii. Push Jobcentres to put on English classes for those whose English is not yet strong enough to apply for work.

Improve connections to Food Banks and mainstream homeless services

i. All relevant parties to engage in meeting organised by Homeless Link on 19th Jan in Manchester. ii. Make links to Trussel Trust for opportunities to access food from Tesco. 

Appendix III

Strategic Alliance on Migrant Destitution

Ending Migrant Destitution series – Manchester

January 19th 2016 – Friend’s Meeting House, Manchester

EVENT SUMMARY

(Please feel free to share this document)

List of Attendees:

List of Attendees:

First Name Surname Organisation

Adele Adjety SERCO

Bec Wilkinson Green Pastures

Carol Halton Wigan and Leigh Homes

Cath McGee DASS

Charlie Norman St Vincent’s Housing Association

Charlotte Mansbridge Whitechapel Day Centre

Christine Walton Bolton Destitution Project

Cym D’Souza ARAWAK Walton Housing Association

Darinah Hdlaka Barnabus Manchester

Dave Smith Boaz Trust/NACCOM

David Smith First Choice Housing Association

Debbie Campion Manchester City Council Women’s Direct

Access Hostel

Denise McDowell GMIAU

Eleanor Watts Riverside

Erinma Bell Chrysalis Manchester

Ewan Roberts Asylum Link

Faith Anderson CSAN

Fiona DeBoitte Manchester City Council Women’s Direct

Access Hostel

Gill Guy Crewe YMCA

Gina Clayton ASSIST Sheffield

Heather Petch Advisor to JRF

Hugo Tristam British Red Cross

Ian McHugh GMIAU

James Allen Manchester Refugee Support Network

John Booth Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

John Horgan Manchester City Council

Judith Carter Liverpool Law Clinic

Julia Glover St Vincent’s Housing Association

Julie Craik Salford City Council

Julie McDonough PETRUS Rochdale

Kallum Edwards DePaul UK

Kasim Uddin Stride Partnership

Kate Percival Refugee Action

Kate Farrell CRISIS

Leisha Latham Salford City Council

Lisa Dysch SERCO

Maria Houlihan GMIAU

Mark McPherson Homeless Link

Martin Crowhurst Manchester City Mission

Martin Timson Urban Outreach

Matt Davenport Salvation Army

Matthew Jones Wigan and Leigh Housing Association

Nadia Shiraz Stride Partnership

Nicola Rea Manchester City Council

Patricia Preston Halton Housing Association

Patricia Holmes Bolton Against Racism

Patrick Duce Homeless Link

Paul Connery Homeless Link

Paula Whylie Bolton at Home

Peter Simm GMIAU

Philip Jones GMIAU

Rob Arnold British Red Cross

Robert Long Salvation Army

Roger Philips BOAZ Trust

Ros Holland BOAZ Trust

Sarah Waters SHELTER

Shaheda Mangerah Bolton Destitution Project

Shauna Morton Bolton at Home

Simon Locke EMMAUS

Tracy Langton Crumpsall Council

Viv Fanning Salford City Council

Strategic Alliance on Migrant Destitution:

The Strategic Alliance on Migrant Destitution brings together professionals from the homelessness, refugee and migrant sectors to create opportunities to work together more effectively to tackle this growing humanitarian problem. The primary focus of the Strategic Alliance is looking at organisations that work with non-EEA destitute migrants with no recourse to public funds (NRPF).

Hosted by Homeless Link, the Alliance is made up of national bodies including the

British Red Cross, Housing Justice, Migrant Rights Network, NACCOM, Refugee Action and Refugee Council. By working together, we aim to increase the number of bed spaces available to people with no recourse to public funds, as well as developing routes out of destitution, including immigration advice and representation.

Aims of the event:

• To improve joint working and understanding between migrant and homelessness organisations.
• To identify existing good practice that can be shared and replicated.
• To develop practical, sustainable, effective and efficient local solutions to migrant destitution.
• Gather, share and use evidence of what works to inform service providers, funders, commissioners and policy makers.
• To collate evidence from the North East, as part of the Ending Migrant Destitution series of events taking place across England.

Speakers:

• Mark McPherson – Director of Strategy, Partnerships and Innovation (Homeless Link) – Introduction to the Strategic Alliance on Migrant Destitution
• Heather Petch OBE (Advisor to JRF) – Introduction to models of accommodation for destitute migrants
• Gina Clayton (ASSIST) – Introduction to Models of Immigration Advice

Summary of main presentation points:

Mark McPherson – Homeless Link

• Homeless Link is a nationwide membership organisation that listens to our over 500 members in order to: influence policy nationally, improve practice with those delivering services and ensuring that this is represented in local strategies and commissioning arrangements.
• Homeless Link has a vision and commitment to end rough sleeping in England. Destitute migrants who rough sleep therefore are included in this vision.
• But to date their responses have not been designed for people that do not have any access to any other public funded resources. There is also an assumption by some (including commissioners) that spending public money on supporting this issue is not allowed.
• Homeless Link host the Strategic Alliance on Migrant Destitution (SAMD), which brings together professionals from the homelessness, refugee and migrant sectors to create opportunities to work together more effectively to tackle this growing humanitarian problem. The primary focus of the Strategic Alliance is looking at organisations that work with non-EU destitute migrants. The Alliance is made up of national bodies including the British Red Cross, Housing Justice, Migrant Rights Network, NACCOM, Refugee Action and Refugee Council.
• There are many organisation that are skilled at providing support for migrants, specifically regarding legal advice. However the complexity of the issue requires us to work together to deliver a more joined up approach where accommodation, support, basic needs and legal advice are seamless and overlapping.
• The role of the Strategic Alliance is to find practical solutions to the above.
• We understand and acknowledge that there are complex policy debates to be had. At Homeless Link we will continue to work on those that relate to homelessness generally. Migrant organisations may want to develop and create space to have similar debates and influencing.
• Homeless Link’s role in coming together though is a different challenge. It is not to get embroiled in these discussions but to ensure that they focus on developing a practical response that improves the lot for people who are destitute. Pooling and coordinating their resources more effectively.

Heather Petch OBE – Advisor to JRF

• This piece of work by Joseph Rowntree Foundation was inspired by Hope Housing Projects in Birmingham and BOAZ Trust in Manchester.
• JRF’s Housing and Poverty Programme has supported scoping for work to replicate Hope Housing and identified a need for:

• Local good will
• Capacity building, collaboration and cross fertilisation
• Focus on clear pathways out of destitutions and good immigration advice
• Sustainable models e.g. cross subsidising NRPF beds through housing for rent or fee earning
• NACCOM – nationwide network
• Importance of informal support and accommodation with family/friend networks in migrant communities.

• Supporting destitute migrants must involve holistic support address interlocking needs of: subsistence, legal advice, partnerships, housing and support.
• Initially there were concerns around the legality of support for migrants, including asylum seekers, who have no recourse to public funds. The Association of Charitable Foundations and the JRF sought legal opinion on this. The findings were:

• Criminal law does not prevent assistance being given to undocumented people to alleviate destitution or meet basic human needs.
• Charities offering food, money, services or accommodation to relieve the destitution of people unlawfully present in the UK would not be covered by the criminal offence of assisting unlawful immigration, & unlikely to face prosecution.
• Need to check a tenant’s ‘right to rent’ under the Immigration Act 2014.

Gina Clayton – ASSIST

• Locally embedded solutions building on existing networks
• Collaboration with support workers in partner services can substantially enhance effectiveness of legal work.
• Support workers can play crucial role in building bridges, developing trust, keeping close contact and using their appropriate skills to facilitate quick and effective triage.
• Quality legal representation can have huge successes, especially with fresh claims (85-100% success rate when applying holistic working)
• None of this works without partnership, as services are fragmented and at times inefficient.
• Formalising partnerships using networks etc has clear results.

Group Exercise Notes:

Each group was made up of a balanced mix of homeless, migrants, refugee, destitution, and local authority groups and asked the following questions:

What are your most significant challenges in providing services for destitute non-EEA migrants with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)?

Summary of discussions:

• Cuts and funding to public services overriding difficulty.
• Despite public support for some refugees NRPF is not a popular public cause
• Lack of working together means that people are not prioritising or triaging effectively and that interventions are randomly scattered. I.e. food distribution in some areas that was not appropriate and had the effect of pulling people to an area with limited capacity for follow up.
• Significant destitution following move-on period of asylum seekers either receiving positive or negative decision.
• Many homeless services only receive referrals from the council anyway, so access to these vital services is limited to those whom can receive local authority assistance.
• Things get pushed into the Manchester city centre where no full solution currently exists.
• Significant issues with move on into the private sector from NASS accommodation. Lack of access to housing within move on period results in destitution.
• Community cohesion a real issue especially in new dispersal areas.
• Lack of data – services such as Serco unable to share data on those in their accommodation (number of positive/negative claims etc). Inability to count hidden homeless.
• Legal framework limitations and lack of legal aid to pursue immigration work.
• Lack of access to adequate employment and training for those going through asylum process.
• Limited English language among destitute migrants and ineligibility for free ESOL classes for those with NRPF.
• Lack of rapid process through the system with bureaucratic procedures and provision of services not adequately matching up.
• Inability of smaller charities to respond to the enquiries of interest and offers of support from recent interest following “Migrant Crisis”. Smaller organisations need support/guidance/mentoring from larger services in how best to grow sustainably.

Each group was asked the following question:

Please list actions that you or your organisation could commit to, in order to better develop partnerships in the North West to further support destitute migrants.

Useful Links and Resources

• Homeless Link is a national membership charity for organisations working directly with people who become homeless in England. We work to make services better and campaign for policy change that will help end homelessness. Homeless Link is the host of the Strategic Alliance.
• Strategic Alliance on Migrant Destitution is a coalition of nationwide organisations working in both the homeless and migrant/refugee organisation. Funded by JRF, Metropolitan Migrant Foundation and the Samuel Sebba Trust – this is a two year project investigating and supporting practical solutions to destitution amongst non-EEA migrants with no recourse to public fund (NRPF).
• For links to the reports referred to in the presentations during this event, please go to the Strategic Alliance’s resources page, where all are available to download. It also includes other resources for working with rough sleepers, migrants and those with no recourse to public funds.
• ASSIST Sheffield helps destitute asylum seekers in Sheffield by providing accommodation, food and support to those in most need or distress. We’re a charity and we’re totally reliant on volunteers, grants and the generosity of the people of Sheffield and the surrounding area.
• Housing Justice is the national voice of Christian action in the field of housing and homelessness. They believe that human dignity is challenged by the lack of decent housing, and also support night shelters, drop-ins and hundreds of practical projects nationwide by providing advice and training for churches and other community groups who work with homeless people.
• NACCOM is a national charity supporting a network of agencies that provide accommodation for migrants who have no recourse to public funds. Most of these are asylum seekers whose asylum claims have been rejected, but for a variety of reasons have not been deported. They are not entitled to benefits or housing, and forbidden to work.
• Migrant Rights Network is a national NGO working and campaigning in support of migrants in the UK. Their work brings together migrant activists and support organizations, think tanks, academics, faith groups and public sector representatives to advocate for a rights-based approach towards migration in the UK.
• Homeless UK is a regularly updated online database of over 9,000 services across the UK - hostels, day centres and other advice and support services for homeless people and those at risk of homelessness.
• Housing Rights Info is a regularly updated website which aims to provide accurate information to recent arrivals and to advisers about entitlements to housing, based on people's immigration status.
• Info 4 Migrants is an online resource providing country specific information and resources detailing everything you need to know about life and living in the UK for new arrivals. It includes information on Education, employment, status and rights and general advice.
• Greater Manchester Refugee Partnership Project is a new collaborative initiative providing specialist help to asylum seekers and refugees in the North West. Delivered by Refugee Action, the British Red Cross, Revive and Rainbow Haven, the new partnership will offer a full spectrum of support for asylum seekers, refugees and destitute migrants with NRPF including asylum advice, legal advice, emotional support and wellbeing activities, ESOL and IT classes and food parcels for those in need.
• Refugee Action help refugees who’ve survived some of the world’s worst regimes. They get them the basic support they need to live again with dignity and help them build safe, happy and productive lives in the UK.
• Boaz Trust is a Christian organisation serving destitute asylum seekers in Greater Manchester. They provide accommodation, food, advocacy and pastoral support. They also campaign on a local and national level for justice in asylum legislation.
• Green Pastures is a national Christian social enterprise that provides homes for the homeless and those in most need. Their social enterprise houses and supports 734+ people through a network of 48 partners. Each partner houses the homeless in properties identified by the partner and purchased by them.
• Liverpool Law Clinic has funding for a project to investigate what legal arguments can be made on behalf of young people who may be stateless or at risk of statelessness. They may be from particular groups (eg. Palestinian, Bidoon), from mixed nationality marriages, or be unable to inherit their mothers nationality due to gender bias in nationality laws (many Arab states), they may be from states which have separated eg. Former USSR, Ethiopia/Eritrea. People who ‘can’t leave the UK’ and have s4 support may be stateless. These people may be able to make an application requesting a grant of leave to remain in the UK, and we will be able to advise and assist. This service is part funded by the Strategic Legal Fund and partly by a Trust. Please email clinic@liv.ac.uk with as much information as possible so we can assess the case.

Future Strategic Alliance regional events:

If you are aware of services that are in the following regions and would benefit from

attending, please don’t hesitate to suggest or forward the following links:

Birmingham – February 5th

Nottingham – February 23rd

Further details of these events can be found on the Homeless Link website.

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Appendix IV

Statistics – 2 Feb 2016

Appendix V