Transcript Supporting people with No Recourse to Public Funds

Supporting people with
No Recourse to Public Funds
Good practice in homelessness services
Tasmin Maitland, Head of Innovation and Good Practice
[email protected]
@tasmin_igp
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
Refugees have recourse to public funds!
Refugee status
Humanitarian protection
Discretionary leave
Indefinite leave to remain
usually same entitlement to public funds as UK citizens
and able to work
although, increasingly, discretionary leave is awarded with NRPF
www.homeless.org.uk/effective-action/refugees
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
The issue
NRPF refers to people who are subject to immigration control and have no
entitlement to welfare benefits or public housing
 High risk of homelessness and destitution
 No access to mainstream housing, welfare benefits
 No / limited access to employment
 Hidden homeless
 Mistrust of statutory and voluntary agencies
 Few specialist services
 Generic services reluctant to engage – assume nothing can be done
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
Who has no recourse to public funds?
Asylum seekers
o asylum claim in process, Home Office Asylum Support
o reached the end of the legal process and been refused
Undocumented or ‘irregular’ migrants
o entered without a visa
o stayed after visa expiry
o other immigration irregularities
Documented or ‘regular’ migrants with no income
o entered with visa, loss of income due to change in circumstances
Migrants who do not have the right to reside
o includes non-EEA migrants and some EEA nationals
Migrants who do not pass the habitual residence test
o includes returning UK citizens
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
It is legal to support ‘irregular’ migrants
It is Home Office Immigration Enforcement’s role to take action
where necessary, not the role of charities.
Even when a client has absconded (i.e. evaded Home Office
reporting, detention or deportation) there is no obligation
on services to contact the Home Office and report them.
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Assessment & Support
1. Return to ‘country of origin’
2. Regularise immigration status to remain in the UK legally
3. Start or re-start a claim for asylum
4. Get support to alleviate destitution
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
Assessment & Support
 Check status, collect information, source translation
 Explain all the options at the start
 Legal aid
 Working with Home Office Immigration
 Home Office financial support:
o Section 95: active asylum claims
o Section 4: hardship claims
 Accommodation:
o Specialist services
o Voluntary sector – night shelters, SWEP, spare room schemes, hostels,
supported housing etc
 Local Authority / Social Services / Mental Health
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
Funding
Statutory sources:
o Home Office Asylum Support
o Local Authority Homelessness Grant
o Social Services
o Mental Health Act
o Domestic Violence (Local Authority)
Voluntary sector:
 Mixed funding streams for bed space allocation
 Grants and donations
 Challenging ‘contract culture’
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
Resources
Homeless Link guidance:
www.homeless.org.uk/effective-action/nrpf
www.homeless.org.uk/effective-action/refugees
www.homeless.org.uk/effective-action/trafficking
www.homeless.org.uk/effective-action/EEAresponseandoffer
www.homeless.org.uk/effective-action/reconnectingroughsleepers
www.homeless.org.uk/effective-action/EEAentitlements
Other useful links:
www.nrpfnetwork.org.uk
www.lawcentres.org.uk
www.asylumaid.org.uk
www.ilpa.org.uk
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
[email protected]
Choices
Refugee Action’s Services
Refugee Action is a independent
national charity working to enable
migrants to build new lives. With
more than 30 years’ experience,
we empower refugees, asylum
seekers and migrants by providing
confidential, impartial and nondirective advice.
Choices
Model of Advice
Impartial, non-directive & independent
Empower clients to make their own informed decision
Client Centred
•Explore all options available to
client
•Life in UK
•Legal avenues (OISC 2)
Confidential
No personal details need be given,
nor will any be passed on to 3rd
parties (including UKBA), in order to
obtain information and advice.
Choices
Motivation of Return
Pull Factors
Push Factors
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Refusal of asylum/appeal
Death/bereavement
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Offer of employment
Poor
accommodation/Destitution
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Limited access to legal
advice
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Unable to seek employment
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Change of government
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Homesickness
Peace agreement
Family Illness
Marriage
Partner and family ask to
return
Time waiting for decision
Refusal of a friend/family
member
Language difficulties
Isolation/loneliness
Cultural differences/way of
life
Choices
Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes
• Assisted Voluntary Return for Irregular Migrants programme
(AVRIM)
• Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme
(VARRP)
• Assisted Voluntary Return for Families and Children
Programme (AVRFC)
Choices
Eligibility Criteria
• Irregular Migrants
• Asylum Seekers or refused Asylum Seekers
• Migrants with Discretionary Leave to Remain
Not eligible if:
• Subject to on going criminal proceedings in the UK
• Received prison sentence in UK which adds up to 12 months or more
(FRS)
• Removal Directions issued
Choices
Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes
Our 3 programmes offer:
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Flight and onward travel to final destination
Assistance with obtaining Travel Documents
Reintegration planning
Assistance at the airport
In addition financial assistance is provided to:
• Asylum Seekers and migrants with Discretionary Leave to Remain - up to
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£1500
All families and unaccompanied minors – up to £2000 per family member
Irregular Migrants -vulnerability payment up to £1000 in exceptional
circumstances
Choices
Client Journey
Pre-Decision
Stage
• Non-directive advice
• Completing form
• Signposting/referral
Logistics
Stage
• Travel Document
• Flight
Reintegration • Reinegration
Plan
Stage
Choices
Safeguarding Policies
• Physical and Mental Health Needs
• Victims of Trafficking (NRM, Salvation Army, First Responder)
• Domestic Violence
• High Risk Countries
• Unaccompanied Minors (Best Interest Assessment/Social, CFAB)
Choices
Assistance by our Overseas Partners
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Meet and Greet at Airport
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Reintegration payments
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Advice and assistance
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Tailored reintegration packages
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Algeria
Bangladesh
Bolivia
Brazil
China
Ghana
India
Iraq
Jamaica
Malawi
Mauritius
Mongolia
Nigeria
Pakistan
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Uganda
Zimbabwe
Choices
How to contact Choices
Clients can call us
Freephone on:
We have multilingual
Leaflets and posters available
0808 800 0007
Drop-in Sessions:
Mondays & Wednesdays
10am – 12pm
2pm – 4pm
Or visit the Choices website:
www.choices-avr.org.uk
Choices
Personal Contact Details
Aftaar Malik
[email protected]
Mobile: 07795300766
Choices Freephone Number: 08088000007
Referrals: [email protected]
Accommodating People with No
Recourse to Public Funds
 Set up Boaz Trust in 2004
 To provide accommodation and holistic
support for destitute asylum seekers
 Currently supporting 78 people: 58
refused asylum seekers with NRPF and 20
refugees.
Accommodating People with No Recourse to
Public Funds
 NACCOM began in 2005
 Network of organisations accommodating
destitute asylum seekers and migrants
 Currently 31 projects from Brighton to
Glasgow
 July 2013 there were 374 accommodated
 naccom.org.uk/news report - “Tackling
homelessness and destitution”
Accommodating People with NRPF –
The Challenges
 Not mainstream: against the tide
 Hard to fund (especially statutory): no
rents or HB
 Not profitable
 Long-term sustainability
 The numbers with NRPF are huge!
Accommodating People with NRPF –
Solutions
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Think outside the box
Schemes will be ethos-driven
Quality staff working for less
Shared resources
Working with people of goodwill
Less statutory = more resilient
Accommodating People with NRPF –
Schemes
 Hosting: spare rooms in private houses
 Night shelters
 Religious orders / communities
Accommodating People with NRPF –
Housing Schemes
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Rented for NRPF Asylum Link Merseyside
Private Leased Boaz Trust
Vicarages / Presbyteries Arimathea Trust
Housing Associations Hope Housing
Rented Mixed Open Door NE
Accommodating People with NRPF –
Considerations
 There must be a way out of NRPF
 There must be wide support, or staff and
volunteers will burn out
 Good communications are essential
 Campaigning is also important
 Funding will always be needed but seek
sustainability
Accommodating People with NRPF –
Conclusion
 It can be done!
 It requires determination and innovation
 Ultimately there has to be a political
solution