New research has found that an increasing number of refugees are rough sleeping in London after leaving Home Office accommodation.
According to analysis by London Councils, 846 refugees and asylum-seekers who had been evicted from Home Office accommodation presented as homeless in October – a 39% increase on September’s figure of 609.
The cross-party group said many boroughs have reported having ‘nothing to offer’ homeless refugees due to a severe shortage of accommodation.
London Councils’ executive member for communities, Grace Williams, said: ‘Boroughs are deeply concerned by the situation, which will only get more dangerous as winter sets in.
‘Those granted asylum need adequate support for settling in the UK, yet too often are forced into sleeping rough on the streets.’
London Councils said the Government should give councils a ‘meaningful period’ to mitigate homelessness risks by extending the move-on period to 56 days, and called for closer co-ordination between the Home Office and local authorities.
It also said the Government should provide funding for severe weather emergency protocol services.
