On the 9th December 2024, the Government confirmed an interim extension to the move-on period from 28 days to 56 days for people receiving positive decisions on their asylum claims. We welcome this long-campaigned-for policy change and the impact that it will have on the people we support, but would also urge the government to take further steps.
We know from our support work that a 28 days is just not enough time for people to find alternative accommodation, open a bank account, find employment or claim Universal Credit. Allowing just 28 days (let alone seven at the peak of the refugee homelessness crisis in 2023) forces people into homelessness unnecessarily. This was reflected by our refugee referrals more than doubling in 2023-24 compared with 2022-23.
The interim extension to 56 days will give more time to the individuals granted refugee status, but also to statutory and voluntary sector services supporting them. It will massively reduce the risk of homelessness for people beginning to build their lives in the UK, as well as relieve some of the pressure on councils and charities.
The change also brings prevention of homelessness in the asylum system in line with the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. This essentially means equality for newly recognised refugees with the wider population when it comes to measures to alleviate homelessness.
However, for people receiving a negative decision on their asylum claim, there’s still no such equality. People who are refused asylum still only have 21 days to move on from their asylum accommodation. As things currently stand, the change of policy is also temporary and only in effect until June 2025. The Government needs to move beyond the mindset of fixing a one off problem to recognising a systemic issue that requires a long term response.
As such we want to see the 56 day move on period made permanent and for it to be widened to include all people moving on from asylum accommodation. This will be something we will be prioritising in our advocacy and campaigning work in the coming months.
