Sixty-four homelessness and migrant support organisations have urged ministers to reverse a recent asylum policy change, warning it will increase rough sleeping and put extra pressure on local authorities.
A pilot extending the move-on period for successful asylum seekers from 28 to 56 days was due to run until 2025, but in August the Government reversed it, giving new single asylum seekers only 28 days to leave accommodation from 1 September.
The 56-day period was designed to give people leaving asylum accommodation sufficient time to secure housing, employment, or benefits.
In their joint letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Housing Secretary Steve Reed, signatories stress that the policy will create additional pressures on already stretched local authorities and homelessness services.
Coordinated by Homeless Link and NACCOM, the letter calls on ministers to ‘take a fresh look’ and restore the 56-day period as part of the Government’s commitment to ending homelessness.
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