A “GRACE PERIOD” for asylum-seekers living in temporary accommodation while their claims are assessed shouldn’t be limited to a pilot exercise, the Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, has argued.
She was speaking through the Second Reading of the Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill within the House of Lords last Friday. The Private Member’s Bill, from Baroness Lister (Labour), would, if passed, bring a few pilot extension of the notice period for the eviction of temporarily housed asylum-seekers from 28 days to 56, to forestall homelessness and to permit enough time to use for Universal Credit and other advantages.
Dr Francis-Dehqani welcomed the pilot, which was among the many recommendations of the recent Commission on the Integration of Refugees, of which she was a member.
“As now we have heard, even 28 days simply shouldn’t be enough to seek out recent accommodation, seek employment, and navigate the welfare system, especially if someone is supporting a family. Without an extended period, we’re setting people as much as fail, which is not any strategy in any respect for integration. Stability is essential for families, particularly for youngsters and young people.”
She asked the Government whether there was further scope for simplification of the scheme for applicants.
Concluding, Dr Francis-Dehqani spoke concerning the Home Office’s use of “grace period” to consult with the move-on period that was being prolonged under the Bill. “Grace within the theological sense — and, I argue, the true sense — is rarely for a limited pilot period, nor for when it is simple or convenient.
“I due to this fact encourage the Government to go further and make this extension to 56 days a everlasting fixture — a real period of grace within the asylum system.”
A 12 months ago, the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, was the lead signatory of a letter from 44 religious leaders calling on the Conservative government to handle the leave-to-remain status of asylum-seekers, and the increasing risk of homelessness in winter (News, 22 December 2023).
The letter asked, first, for the Home Office to abide by its policy that refugees had a minimum of 28 days from receiving their biometric residence permit before having to depart their accommodation; second, that each one councils and relevant authorities be told that the notice of decision for the asylum was adequate evidence to use for housing and other support; and, third, that the eviction notice period be prolonged from 28 days to 56, to permit enough time to use for Universal Credit and other advantages.
Addressing the Lords in the identical debate, Bishop Mullally said that, for these reasons, she supported the Bill. She welcomed work with the Government on this matter and subsequent “simplification of the letters that refugees receive”.
“Several people had errors with their biometric residence permit which meant that they might not access the support they needed, and were still evicted at the tip of their support period,” she said. “These mistakes are incredibly difficult to correct, particularly whether it is a spelling mistake.”
Bishop Mullally asked whether the pilot extension could be evaluated, “and whether the Government proceed to work with newly recognised refugees, in order that the communication improvement continues. Finally, I’m wondering what motion the Government are taking to be sure that the executive systems are appropriately resourced so that they’re efficient.”
Responding to those points, the Minister of State for the Home Office, Lord Hanson of Flint, said: “We expect that measure to be in place until June 2025. The Government have put that pilot in place to support local authorities during a period after we expect an increased volume of asylum decisions to be made.”
He continued: “We want to take a look at the supply of asylum move-on liaison officers to support granting asylum and successfully moving on from asylum accommodation and support. We have put in place £2.8 million additional outcome-based funding for select local authorities to support move-on in line with prioritised need. We are changes to internal processes with the move-on period and on the downstream legality of adjusting those issues.”
