Thank you to all those who contacted me about safe accommodation for asylum seekers.
I am proud that the British people have always stepped up with humanity and compassion for those in need, when we have welcomed people fleeing war, hunger and persecution. Asylum seekers should be treated with dignity and have safe, secure, and suitable accommodation while their claim is considered.
I agree that this is a complex subject for us in Lewisham North. Our borough is very diverse and we have a proud history of welcoming refugees and immigrants, so much so that we became the UK’s first Borough of Sanctuary. As the local MP, my caseworkers and I have also supported many hundreds of people with their immigration applications since I was first elected in 2015.
I support the Government’s efforts to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers as soon as it is feasible. Ministers are now working to speed up the processing of asylum claims, so that refugees can be accepted and can move on to rebuild their lives here in safety. The Government is already spending £500 million less on the use of asylum hotels because of the actions it has taken, and I welcome this.
The Home Office works to ensure the needs and vulnerabilities of people in asylum accommodation are identified and considered, including those needs related to mental health and trauma. It will use every tool available to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence.
I recently got in contact with the Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris MP on the issue of asylum accommodation. He stated that the priority is to ensure that we have enough secure, safe and sustainable accommodation options so that the Home Office can continue to meet its statutory obligations in a fair and equitable manner, while also carefully considering the impact on local areas. The Home Office works in collaboration with local authorities and key stakeholders to ensure that accommodation sites are successfully managed and the impact upon the local community is minimised.
The Government recognises that people new to the UK may have questions and uncertainties about the asylum process, and so it issues information outlining the process and the claimant’s responsibilities within it. New and existing asylum seekers are also able to contact in their own language the asylum helpline run by Migrant Help.
This provides information about the asylum process including asylum support and adapting to life in the UK. Migrant Help services are also available face-to-face in initial accommodation.
All asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility) service provided for the Home Office by Migrant Help where they can raise any concerns regarding accommodation or support services.
As part of its commitment to end the use of all asylum hotels and reduce costs for taxpayers, the Home Office is working with other departments and councils to develop a more sustainable model of accommodation which seeks to reduce competition for affordable housing and help deliver new supply.
Any system in which tens of thousands of people are living in hotels, waiting for a letter about their future, is a broken one. The system works neither for the British people nor the individuals who are reliant on it for sanctuary and safety. I know that the Government will continue to work to fix the chronic problems in the asylum system.
Thank you once again to everyone who raised this important issue with me.