According to new research from London Councils, hundreds of refugees have been left sleeping rough after leaving Home Office accommodation.
Thanks to a survey conducted by the cross-party group, 311 refugees were forced to sleep rough after they were evicted from Home Office hotels in January 2024 alone. In comparison to September 2023, when London Councils began this survey, this is an increase of 234%, whilst 1,087 refugees approached homelessness services in London in January after being evicted by the Home Office. This figure includes those who are rough sleeping, as well as those who are ‘hidden homeless’ – meaning they are sleeping on somebody else’s accommodation floor, in a church, or somewhere else that is off the street.
London Councils’ research also found that, when the city’s severe weather emergency protocol was activated due to January’s plummeting temperatures, 20% of the rough sleepers that were placed in emergency accommodation for safety were refugees that were housed by the Home Office.
London Councils Lead for Asylum and Refugees, Cllr Grace Williams, commented:
“The dramatic spike in refugees rough sleeping in the capital is deeply alarming.
“No one wants to see refugees become homeless after leaving Home Office accommodation, but this is happening more and more due to serious flaws in the system and the government’s approach to the issue. A longer move-on period for those leaving Home Office accommodation is crucial, as well as funding for the councils whose local services provide vital support and sanctuary for those in need.
“London is already grappling with a severe homelessness crisis. Rough sleeping among refugees puts extra pressure on already-stretched local services, but much more could be done to prevent it occurring in the first place. We are urging the government to listen to boroughs’ concerns and work with us in tackling this challenge.”
With the issue likely to get even worse, London Councils has called for the government to put a number of measures in place, including:
- Commit to a 56-day ‘move-on period’
- Expand the eligibility for Local Authority Housing Fund
- Recognise asylum accommodation as supported accommodation
- Enhance Homelessness Prevention grant funding
- Bring forward a cross-department strategy to reduce homelessness
Image credit: iStock
