Speeding up and simplifying immigration claims urgently needed to help with dire situation for migrants experiencing homelessness

Newswise — Unique research carried out during the Covid pandemic has highlighted major problems with the Home Office application process for immigration claims. 

The research was undertaken by the University of Portsmouth during the Everyone In initiative - a £3.2million emergency fund that required local authorities in England to house all homeless individuals in their area, regardless of their immigration status. The initiative was designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Everyone In gave researchers from the University of Portsmouth a rare opportunity to talk to people that are usually unreachable. Migrants experiencing homelessness were placed in hotel rooms during the pandemic, and for the first time their stories could be shared.  

The report describes findings from an 18-month ESRC/UKRI funded study, facilitated by the leading homeless charity St Mungo’s. It highlights the significant crisis of the hidden homeless: the number of people accommodated during Everyone In was six times higher than the number of people recorded sleeping rough before the pandemic. 

Researchers are calling for some radical changes to the immigration system.  Lead researcher Dr Simon Stewart says: “The current immigration system is destructive for those that are trying to work and continue with their lives. On the basis of their previous experiences, people with an unresolved immigration status tend to avoid contact with authorities. Instead, they develop a habitual practice that we call cultivated invisibility, which means they find ways to go unnoticed and stay on the move and blend into the crowd, for example resting on public transport. If their right to work is restricted, their source of income is often derived from working in the informal economy, which makes them potentially deportable. With limited or no access to public funds, they become trapped in a downward spiral – they end up sleeping rough and becoming ill. In attempting to adapt they become more illegalised, and so it continues.”

The report delivers key recommendations. Dr Stewart says: “We recommend the continued suspension of the eligibility criteria that made Everyone In such a positive initiative for migrants experiencing homelessness and those working in the homelessness sector. There needs to be better communication between the Home Office and embassies so that issues such as lost ID and paperwork can be resolved quickly thus speeding up immigration status claims.”

The research highlights the benefits of the Everyone In initiative for migrants experiencing homelessness. On the basis of interviews with staff working in the sector, the research found the suspension in eligibility criteria for migrants coupled with a huge increase in emergency accommodation ensured that many migrants received homelessness assistance for the first time. 

Researchers found that in many ways Everyone In was a great success. The benefits included access to food, shelter, clothing, healthcare and legal advice. It gave some individuals a chance to improve their mental health and access support services such as those relating to alcohol or drug use. 

The situation meant those working in the homelessness sector were able to access their clients in hotel rooms, rather than having to search for them on the streets. They were able to speak to them ‘in person’ rather than on the phone. For many homeless organisations this was the first encounter with migrants who had long been among the ranks of the hidden homeless, a group made invisible through rough sleeping, sofa-surfing or sleeping on public transport.

The report shows that many migrants experiencing homelessness previously unfamiliar with their rights were able to receive advice that enabled them to make progress with their immigration paperwork or their search for longer-term accommodation. There were also increased levels of cooperation between various institutions in the homelessness sector, including third-sector organisations and local authorities. This happened as rapid solutions had to be found when Everyone In was announced. Charities perceived to be pitted against each other in competition for funding were able to work together more effectively to help their clients.

Researchers also noted negative aspects of Everyone In. Confined to their rooms during the various lockdowns, some individuals experienced a lack of autonomy and an increasing sense that their lives were under surveillance. For some housed in the emergency accommodation this presented difficulties. For example, staff in the sector regularly carried out welfare checks. These checks were carried out in a uniform way but were disproportionately experienced as negative by those with conditions such as PTSD. Many of those interviewed described their traumas, which included conflict-related and sexual assault-related traumas, as well as trauma deriving from interrogation.

Dr Stewart says: “Our findings showed that some individuals were particularly affected by welfare check-related door knocking in the emergency accommodation. Some forms of assessment were also anxiety-inducing and gave people the perception that they were being watched. These experiences produced a sense of hypervisibilisation. With this in mind, we recommend a more personalised, trauma-informed approach to welfare checks and assessments in the homelessness sector.”

Petra Salva OBE, St Mungo’s Director of Rough Sleepers and Migrants said: “We welcome this research and the valuable contribution it makes in telling the stories of the homeless migrant population, who are often difficult to reach. The research highlights the importance of access to independent immigration services, allowing people’s immigration statuses to be progressed and resolved rapidly. At St Mungo’s we have seen first-hand the transformative difference that can make to people’s lives. We’ll be working together with our partners to take forward the learnings within this report, so that together we can end rough sleeping for everyone.”

Ends 

Notes to editors:

The full report can be viewed here: https://doi.org/10.17029/2cd8-z592

The full list of recommendations are: 

1. We recommend the continued suspension of immigration-related eligibility criteria that made the Everyone In such a positive initiative for migrants experiencing homelessness and those working in the homelessness sector. This will require a significant increase in funding for Local Authorities to provide the requisite accommodation and support.
2. Speed up and simplify the Home Office application process for all immigration status claims. We recommend better communication between the Home Office and Embassies so that issues such as lost ID and paperwork can be resolved quickly thus speeding up immigration status claims.
3. It should be more straightforward for asylum seekers to apply to work in the UK while their asylum claims are being processed. We recommend a reformulation of Section 360 of the Home Office immigration rules relating to the right to request permission to take up employment. Having a work permit for this would help individuals to avoid getting involved in the informal economy and risking illegalisation.
4. Increase the levels of tailored support offered to those claiming asylum. First, we recommend increasing the asylum seekers’ support rate. At present, this rate is so low that it potentially leads people into destitution. Second, we propose that stable NASS accommodation should be provided in an area where an individual has some local connection. At present, asylum seekers are often moved around the country in an ad hoc manner even if they have lived in an area for a number of years.
5. Suspend the No Recourse to Public Funds condition. This legislation increases the risk of homelessness among migrants who are working to resolve their immigration status because they are denied access to benefits and housing assistance. Moreover, their ability to access work and some forms of healthcare is restricted. 
6. Homelessness organisations need to develop a more personalised and trauma-informed approach to welfare checks, assessments, and other interactions with clients. Many migrants experiencing homelessness have experienced traumatic events, whether relating to conflict, sexual assault or persecution at the hands of the state or border forces. Therefore, there is a risk of re-traumatising them in the course of everyday encounters. We recommend workshops run by specialists in the field or people with lived experience that pioneer ways of dealing with clients in a personalised, compassionate and trauma-informed manner.
7. More research is needed on the extent of hidden homelessness among non-UK nationals in order to take steps to understand and alleviate the problem. Our research findings demonstrate that the extent of hidden migrant homelessness is not adequately captured in homelessness statistics. In order to identify the resources needed to assist the hidden homeless population, we recommend further research on those with no or limited access to public funds that extends the reach of existing methodologies in order to better understand and assist this cohort.
8. More provision needs to be made in the homelessness sector for families and groups to enable a higher degree of social embeddedness. Families fear being separated when they come forward for help as the typical profile of a homelessness organisation’s client is a single male. We recommend that better provision is offered for family groups. We also recommend more provision for sociability in the sector and ways to bring individuals together.
9. Increase the provision of interpreting services in the homelessness sector and tailor the support offered. Our research shows that migrants were often fearful of engaging with interpreters because they were worried that these intermediaries might judge them unfavourably or reveal the circumstances of their lives to others. Another problem is that interpreters are not trained to deal with traumatic conversations or equipped to translate legal concepts. We recommend that before being engaged, interpreters are briefed – and preferably trained - about the sensitive topics and legal concepts that might arise in the conversations.
10. Increase the embedding of specialist immigration advice in the homelessness sector. First, we recommend that there is an increased provision of OISC-accredited immigration training. This will require additional funding from local authorities. We found that many migrants were not aware of their rights to remain in the UK. Immigration advice played a key role in providing crucial information about this. Second, we recommend greater levels of coordination between homelessness organisations and specialist migrant support services so that individuals have the best possible chance of resolving their immigration situation.
11. Increase the embedding of specialist embedded mental health support in the homelessness sector. First, we recommend that specialist training is given to outreach workers. This is essential given that they have to deal with instances of psychosis, chronic depression and suicidal thoughts. Training will also enable them to recognise the symptoms of PTSD, which are often undiagnosed, and refer clients to specialist support. Second, we recommend that there are mental health specialist workers embedded in outreach teams to reduce barriers to accessing support.
12. Listen to people’s stories. We recommend that organisations create spaces for explorative conversations. Our research demonstrates that giving people a chance to talk about their lives has many benefits including being therapeutic. Many individuals we spoke to were initially reluctant to talk because of their previous experiences of assessment or interrogation. When given the opportunity to engage in conversation, they were often able to offer insights into their back stories and interests, but at the same time, they could reflect on a range of issues. For example, they reflected on structural inequalities and family-based traumas but also their hopes and plans for the future.