The United Kingdom Home Office will now allow asylum seekers to stay with their friends or family in the country instead of in Home Office accommodation. The new policy was disclosed in a four-page leaflet shared on the Home Office website on Wednesday.
New accommodation options for asylum seekers
According to the Home Office, asylum seekers may choose to stay with friends or family who can afford to accommodate them. The department also declared that the new arrangement would not affect the outcome of an asylum application. Eligible asylum seekers will continue to receive weekly financial support for food and other essential items.
“You can stay with friends or family instead of in Home Office accommodation,” the Home Office said. The guidance also noted that this new arrangement will not affect the outcome of asylum applications. Those eligible will “still get weekly money for food and other essential items” but must follow a “specified process before leaving Home Office accommodation.”
Process for moving to friends or family
Asylum seekers are expected to first speak with friends or family to confirm they are willing to accommodate them, then call Migrant Help to notify them. The Home Office stated: “Once you and your friend or family member have provided Migrant Help with all the information required, you must wait for the Home Office to confirm the outcome of your request before moving to new accommodation.”
“If you move without telling Migrant Help, you could lose your financial support, so it is important you contact them first,” the guidance stated. This step is crucial to avoid losing financial assistance.
Context: Faster asylum decisions and appeals
The new regulations come a week after the UK government announced that it intends to speed up the asylum process. Last week, the Home Office introduced a new 24-week target for deciding certain asylum and immigration appeals. The move aims to speed up removals and cut the cost of housing people whose claims have been rejected.
The target came into force on 12 August and applies to new appeals before the First-tier Tribunal involving non-detained foreign national offenders and people receiving asylum support and accommodation. The UK Home Office said the measure is intended to reduce the waiting time for cases to be heard by more than a third.
Impact on waiting times and removals
The current average waiting time for a judge to decide a case is 67 weeks. Under the new target, cases involving people who are unsuccessful at appeal and have no legal right to remain in the UK can be resolved more quickly, allowing immigration authorities to begin removal proceedings sooner. This is expected to reduce the backlog and associated costs.
