Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her department will be exempting victims of human trafficking from the Immigration and Asylum (Provision of Accommodation to Failed Asylum-Seekers) (Amendment) Regulations 2026.

The amendments form part of the 5 March policy announcements, which replace the statutory duty to support with a power, and making it a condition of support not to illegally work. The aim of these measures is to reduce misuse of support, not to make people homeless or deny support to those who genuinely need it and have no way to support themselves.

The purpose and effect of the Asylum Seekers (Reception Conditions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 is set out in the Explanatory Memorandum. An Equalities Impact Assessment will be conducted throughout the policy development process, as required through the Public Sector Equality Duty.

The term ‘deliberate’ is not defined in the Explanatory Memorandum. The policy remains under development. Whilst the revocation came into force on 2 June, there have been no changes to the policy. Further detail will be set out in policy guidance in due course.

Any decision to withdraw support from someone who is suspected of working illegally will be made on a case-by-case basis. Existing protections remain in place and where exploitation is identified, safeguarding takes priority. Caseworkers are trained to identify exploitation risks and make appropriate referrals during the investigation process, including referrals to the National Referral Mechanism for potential victims of modern slavery.