Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 24 May 2022 to Question 2591 on Asylum: Temporary Accommodation and with reference to the correspondence of 13 April 2022 from her Department to local authorities on Full Dispersal, whether her Department has provided guidance to the Northern Ireland Executive on that matter; and if she will make it her policy to publish all guidance provided by her Department to the Northern Ireland Executive in the Library.

The asylum accommodation system is under enormous pressure because of the significant and sustained increase in asylum intake over the last 12 months and the build-up of the population as a result of Covid-19 related measures.

On 13 April 2022 I announced the Home Office would move, with immediate effect, to a full dispersal model for the procurement of asylum accommodation in England, Scotland and Wales to allow us to move from hotels to less expensive and more suitable dispersed accommodation. The arrangements for asylum accommodation are different in Northern Ireland as Northern Ireland does not form part of the asylum dispersal system.

My officials are working with the Northern Ireland Executive to identify how they can contribute to this UK wide challenge. Officials met on 26 May 2022 to commence planning and have a follow up meeting scheduled for 28 June 2022 to discuss how Full Dispersal in Northern Ireland will work.

Relevant guidance will be published on GOV.UK to support local authorities under Full Asylum Dispersal.