Home Office relaxes 28-day asylum seeker rule after 'unprecedented pressure' on Scottish city

There are hopes fewer asylum seekers could fall into homelessness and destitution in Glasgow after the Home Office relaxed eviction rules.

The Home Office has relaxed eviction rules for asylum seekers in a “common sense move” that could ease pressure on Glasgow homelessness services this winter.

The UK government has agreed to temporarily double the time that people seeking asylum have to leave their accommodation, known as the “move on period”, from 28 days to 56 days.

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The Home Office has relaxed rules for people seeking asylum Credit: Getty ImagesThe Home Office has relaxed rules for people seeking asylum Credit: Getty Images
The Home Office has relaxed rules for people seeking asylum Credit: Getty Images | Getty Images

Currently when those seeking asylum have their applications approved, they have just four weeks to leave their accommodation provided by the Home Office and set up somewhere to live. This leads to many falling into destitution and homelessness.

Glasgow has welcomed more people seeking asylum than any other local authority in the UK - but the move on period has contributed to a rise in homelessness in the city.

Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitkin has previously called on the Home Office to provide more support to local authorities to properly look after those seeking asylum.

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She said “the way in which the Home Office is now batch processing decisions followed by large scale evictions from asylum accommodation” was a “significant driver of a high number of refugees seeking support from homelessness services”, adding “the city still is not receiving funding from the Home Office to support this”.

Now, the Home Office has confirmed that “for asylum seekers who have received a positive decision on their asylum claim”, from Monday the move on period “will be extended from 28 to 56 days”.

But the extension is an “interim measure” until June, during a “period of increased decision making” as officials try to quickly deal with cases. The step is being done alongside the roll-out of eVisas for people seeking asylum, which has raised some concerns over whether everyone can access online documents.

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Other support provided by the Home Office, including an allowance of just £1.36 a day, is set to remain in place for just 28 days.

Charities have welcomed the move by the Home Office to double the move on period.

Scottish Refugee Council’s refugee integration service manager, Rebecca Menzies, said: “We are relieved that people will now have 56 days to find somewhere new to live after receiving a decision about their asylum claim. This is a common-sense move that provides a little more time for people make the transition from temporary asylum accommodation into something longer-term and more settled.

“People who are granted refugee protection need be able to focus on rebuilding their lives, it’s a really crucial time for people and a moment many have looked forward to for years. Being recognised as a refugee means an end to the uncertainty of the asylum system, but a whole new, complicated and challenging journey begins.

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“We hope that the decision to increase the ‘move on’ period will have a positive impact on this and reduce the number of people who are forced to endure homelessness this winter.”

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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."

The decision coincides with this year’s Scotsman Christmas appeal, which is raising money for Cyrenians, a charity that provides people with a place to stay and is working across the community to break the cycle of homelessness.

Donate to Cyrenians’ winter campaign here or by using the QR code above.

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