Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

(asked on 20th April 2021) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what comparative cost benefit analysis her Department has made of the respective cost to the public purse of continuing to provide temporary accommodation to failed asylum seekers under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and the effect of not providing such accommodation on the effect on street homelessness.


Answered by
Chris Philp Portrait
Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
This question was answered on 26th April 2021

Failed asylum seekers and other migrants unlawfully present in the UK are not eligible for mainstream welfare and housing benefits. Accommodation is available under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, but only where the individuals are taking reasonable steps to leave the UK or there is a practical or legal obstacle preventing their departure. Failed Asylum Seekers should leave the UK and return to their country of origin - support will be given to them to do that via voluntary return or we will seek an enforced return. No assessment has been made of the impact of changing the legislation so that failed asylum seekers are provided with accommodation without these conditions, but the cost to the public purse is likely to be extremely high, particularly as such a policy is very likely to encourage unfounded asylum applications and there would be little incentive for the individuals to leave the UK when their claims are rejected.

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