Home Affairs Committee
1. Executive summary of key points
1.1 Recent research by Destitution Concerned Bradford (a partnership of local voluntary sector agencies in Bradford) suggests that up to 66 people were destitute refused asylum seekers in July 2012 in the Bradford District.
1.2 Destitution can lead to adverse impacts on local authority and other public services. The select committee should consider these impacts when recommending changes to the asylum process.
2. Introduction
2.1 This response has been led by the Climate, Housing, Employment and Skills (CHES) Service of Bradford Council which has responsibility for the development of the Housing Strategy for the district, and for the delivery of key elements of that strategy.
It has led until recently on the delivery of asylum seekers accommodation within the District as part of a regional local authority consortium delivering the UKBA asylum contract. That contract is now delivered by G4S within this region.
The CHES service also leads on the Council’s statutory duties to homeless applicants and for managing partnership arrangements with other housing providers, including housing for vulnerable people and people in housing need. This includes close liaison with voluntary sector organisations that support the client groups, as well as refugees and asylum seekers on a day-to-day basis.
2.2 Bradford has a population of 522,000 of which over 30% are from black and ethnic minority communities.
Currently, we have 257 asylum seekers dispersed in the City—60 singles and 197 family members. Some asylum seekers will be granted a positive decision and become refugees, whilst those who are not granted asylum, either return home or remain in the district until they can re-establish their application for asylum.
3. Comments on specific issues
3.1 The prevalence of destitution amongst asylum applicants and refused asylum seekers.
3.2 Bradford like other dispersal cities has a number of destitute refused asylum seekers. According to a study ‘No return, No asylum: Destitution as a way of life?’ carried out by Destitution Concerned Bradford (a partnership of local voluntary sector agencies in Bradford) in July 2012 reported a “total of 66 people were found as destitute asylum seekers”.
3.3 The survey methodology was developed from similar work in Leeds undertaken by Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust in 2008.
3.4 The study concluded that the number of destitute refused asylum seekers in the district may be higher than those surveyed. This may in part be due to individuals not accessing the support agencies who took part in the survey or a reluctance to participate in the survey. (eg fear of being identified and deported).
3.5 Other key findings from the report include:
- — 55 individuals completed the survey and 10 dependent children and 1 dependent adult were also recorded and over 40% of the respondents were female.
- — 21 individuals have been destitute for a year or more and 7 people have been destitute for between 5 and 10 years, 1 person for more than 10 years. 2 families with dependent children had been destitute for over 8 years.
- — The respondents were from 21 countries with highest from Eritrea (8), Iran (7), Malawi (5) and Pakistan (5).
- — The survey methodology did not allow the issues raised to be investigated in more detail.
- — The report noted the large and supportive community of fellow refugees and asylum seekers who provided housing and support to refused asylum seekers meant there were very few rough sleepers from this community in Bradford.
- — Lack of cash is also seen as problematic for those refused asylum seekers, who often have insufficient funds to access support and travel to the Home Office in Leeds to report. Reporting to the Home Office ensures the refused asylum seeker(s) stay in contact, can be advised to seek voluntary return or has an opportunity to appeal the negative decision.
Asylum appeals
3.6 Legal support and assistance from Voluntary community sector (VCS) projects in Bradford have resulted in some asylum seekers having their negative decisions overturned on appeal. This has encouraged some refused asylum seekers to remain in the district and pursue their asylum claims rather than agree to a voluntary return.
Impacts on Local Authorities and other public services
3.7 Destitution causes severe hardship for refused asylum seekers and may lead to a higher incidence of physical and/or mental health problems, with subsequent cost impacts for the NHS.
3.8 Destitution may also force refused asylum seekers to find other survival strategies like illegal work, prostitution, begging or street homelessness all of which have social and financial consequences for policing, local authorities and the voluntary sector.
3.9 In addition, destitution makes voluntary returns more difficult as people cannot properly consider return when they are focused on day to day survival.
3.10 Bradford Council provides emergency temporary accommodation as part of cold weather provision as per the Department of Communities and Local Government guidance when temperatures drop below 0. This service can be accessed by anyone regardless of immigration status and was accessed by 5 refused asylum seekers between October 12 and March 13.
Recommendations
3.11 Consideration should be given for the Government to provide financial support (in line with current asylum rates) and accommodation until an individual leaves the UK or leave to remain is granted.
3.12 Quality legal advice should be made available to all asylum seekers at all stages of the asylum process to enable better decision making and options assessment including voluntary returns.
3.13 The Select Committee also needs to consider the removals processes as many of the refused asylum seekers tend to disappear as soon as they receive negative decisions.
3.14 With regard to 3.7 to 3.10, the Select Committee should consider recommending changes to existing rules which severely restrict local authorities in the support they can provide to destitute refused asylum seekers.
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council—Climate, Housing, Employment and Skills (CHES) Service
April 2013