Ellie Ames 06 December 2024

Home Office doubles time for new refugees to find home

Home Office doubles time for new refugees to find home image
Image: William Barton / Shutterstock.com.

The Home Office will temporarily give new refugees more time to move on from asylum accommodation, in a move it is hoped will reduce pressure on councils’ homelessness services.

The move-on period will be extended from 28 to 56 days in a pilot scheme that will initially run until June, when officials will assess whether it should continue.

A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘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.’

Homeless Link said giving new refugees just 28 days to find a home meant the Government had previously ‘simply accepted homelessness as part of the asylum system’.

The charity described the pilot as ‘a really welcome step’, for which it had been campaigning, but said it would like to see the change made permanent.

Homeless Link's director of social change, Fiona Colley, said: ‘Giving newly recognised refugees more time to find housing and start building their lives outside of the asylum system will be so important in helping prevent homeless for so many people, greatly reducing the risk of refugees becoming homeless and taking pressure off already overstretched local authority and voluntary and community sector homelessness services.’

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Fleet and Workshop Support Officer

Wakefield Council
£25,584.to £27,269, Grade 5
Are you interested in working for the foremost Council Transport Services Team in the country Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council

Fleet and Workshop Support Officer

Wakefield Council
£25,584.00 to £27,269.00, Grade 5
Are you interested in working for the foremost Council Transport Services Team in the country Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council

Strategic Commissioning Manager (Markets Team Manager)

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council
Negotiable
Drive real change in your community - shape the future of careDrive real change in your community - shape the future of careAt the Royal Borough of Ke England, London
Recuriter: The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council

Highways Maintenance Manager

North Yorkshire Council
£49,764 - £53,817
We are looking for an experienced co-ordinator to join the team as a Highways Maintenance Manager. Brompton on Swale, Richmond
Recuriter: North Yorkshire Council

CRM Business Analyst

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council
£43542 - £51663 per annum
Use your tech skills to drive smarter housing services - and make a real difference to thousands of residents.This is a fixed term contract until 14th England, London
Recuriter: The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council
Linkedin Banner