‘Common sense and humanity’: Home Office doubles time given to refugees before eviction from asylum hotels

The government has increased the amount of time it gives newly-recognised refugees to find accommodation, after a long-standing Conservative policy drove thousands onto the streets.

Refugees will now be given 56 days before they are evicted from asylum accommodation, an extension to the existing “move on” period of 28 days.

The Home Office says the extension is a “time limited trial” as it attempts to clear the asylum backlog and manage the rollout of eVisas.

• ‘We didn’t know where to go’: What’s it’s like being pregnant, a refugee and homeless at Christmas
• ‘I came here for safety and I’ve come into danger’: The grim reality of life in asylum hotels for women

Without income, savings, or often a bank account, refugees faced homelessness in huge numbers after the end of the 28-day period. One charity declared a “refugee homelessness emergency”, and said volunteers were picking up the pieces but having to turn destitute refugees away or provide sleeping bags and tents.

“We’re glad that the government has shown some common sense and basic humanity. Giving people just a few weeks to get back on their feet and find a new home was cruel and callous,” said Mary Atkinson, campaigns and networks manager at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants. 

“We saw the results on a daily basis – people who had come to this country looking for safety, were ending up on our streets.”

Unable to work and earn an income, asylum seekers are provided with accommodation – often in the form of asylum hotels – while they wait for their claim to be decided. Once granted status, they must leave this accommodation.

Spending on asylum accommodation has risen to the top of the political agenda, with spending rising from an estimated £739mm in 2020 to £4.7bn in 2024. In its manifesto, Labour promised to end the use of hotels, but figures from November show an increase in the number of hotels used since the election.

But the Conservative government’s drive to clear the backlog last autumn saw it make thousands of refugees homeless by reducing the amount of time they had to find somewhere new to live to just seven days.

“Twenty-eight days is not long enough for most people to find a new home, especially refugees who are trying to rebuild their lives,” said Nazek Ramadan, director of Migrant Voice.

“It is essential that the government now ensure that refugees who have been made homeless by the previous policy are provided with accommodation and given a genuine opportunity to find somewhere to live.”

Charities and refugee campaigners had long called for the move on period to be doubled to 58 days, in line with other homelessness laws.

Calling the move a “welcome step in the right direction”, Lauren Scott, the chief executive of Refugees at Home, said the previous policy had left many on the streets.

“The ongoing campaigning from charities, journalists and refugees has no doubt played a huge part in this much-needed change. By doubling the move-on period to be in line with the homelessness support provided by local authorities, refugees now have more time to find the safety and stability they deserve,” said Scott.

“Although the change has been announced as a ‘time-limited pilot’, we urge the government to listen to refugees about how this policy directly impacts them. We’re hopeful the trial will be successful and that in time, everyone aiming to rebuild their lives in the UK can do so free from the very real threat of homelessness.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “This is a time limited pilot to support local authorities as we clear the asylum backlog and transition to eVisas. Only newly recognised refugees will receive 56 days’ notice to move on from asylum accommodation.

“We have inherited enormous pressures in the asylum system and remain absolutely committed to ending the use of hotels as we ramp up returns of failed asylum seekers.”

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. This Christmas, you can make a lasting change on a vendor’s life. Buy a magazine from your local vendor in the street every week. If you can’t reach them, buy a  Vendor Support Kit.