Nottingham City Council blames Government for homelessness crisis among refugees and asylum seekers

A total of 213 asylum seekers and refugees approached the council for help between September and December 2023, making up one in every four applications.

There were 149 applications from those groups in the same period the year before.

The council says increasing numbers have been granted temporary accommodation in Nottingham, including 42 households between January and March 2024.

Others were judged to not be in need of immediate accommodation.

A council report claims the government’s streamlined asylum process has caused a surge in applications since it was introduced in July 2023 to clear the backlog.

The council says there has also been a reduced the notice period for individuals leaving Home Office accommodation.

This is putting pressure on many councils to find homes for those who have been granted asylum at short notice, the report says.

An asylum seeker is someone who says they have fled their home due to fear of persecution, and can remain in the UK while their claim is looked into.

Once an application is approved, they are free to live or work anywhere in UK.

There are around 1,550 people seeking asylum in Nottingham, according to the latest government figures.

Another 2,000 refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan are part of resettlement schemes.

The local voluntary sector believes there are around 300 to 500 people whose asylum applications have been refused.

A council committee meeting on Wednesday, May 29 will discuss concerns that not all are receiving the healthcare they need.

This could be due to challenges in reaching them, such as language barriers and poor housing.

As well as homelessness, asylum seekers and refugees are also at higher risk of PTSD, mental distress, untreated health problems and gender-based violence.

Nottingham has more than twice the number of asylum seekers and refugees per person than the average for England – 49 per 100,000 residents, compared to an average of 20 per 100,000.

The report notes: “It remains likely that Nottingham will support a significant number of people seeking asylum, refugees and people refused asylum for the foreseeable future.”

The government says it encourages people to make housing arrangements as soon as possible after receiving a decision on their asylum claim, and local authorities are informed within two days.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “Once a newly recognised refugee is issued a biometric residence permit, they get 28 days to move on from asylum accommodation.

“Support is also available through Migrant Help and their partners, which includes advice on how to access universal credit, the labour market and where to get assistance with housing.

“We are working to make sure individuals have the support they need following an asylum decision, and to help local authorities better plan as we reduce the number of asylum seekers awaiting a decision.”

The Home Office also says it has invested £1.2b in preventing homelessness over the last three years.