Asylum: Housing

(asked on 14th September 2020) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department and its contractors are taking to ensure that people in asylum accommodation can comply with the new public health stipulation of a maximum of six people gathering, in (a) hotels, (b) other initial accommodation centres and (c) HMOs used for asylum accommodation.


Answered by
Chris Philp Portrait
Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
This question was answered on 6th October 2020

We have worked closely with Public Health to ensure asylum accommodation providers are following relevant guidance and are supporting asylum seekers to follow Public Health guidance within the estate.

Providers are applying controls to further support social distancing such as providing translated public health guidance and instruction to service users. Communal dining rooms have staggered meal times and appropriate marking to delineate social distancing. Where service users are isolating, food is placed outside of their rooms.

Laws prohibiting social gatherings of more than six people apart from a set of limited exemptions including work and education apply to everyone. The Home Office are working closely with accommodation providers to ensure that the new health stipulation of “the rule of six” is followed and implemented accordingly. The varying types of accommodation require different approaches, the Home Office are working closely with providers to understand the implementation of those approaches and to assure themselves that Public Health guidance is applied appropriately.

During these unprecedented times the government is working with a range of partners and across departments to secure further accommodation and the MOD has offered use of some of its sites. We have sought Public Health England/Wales advice on how we can make best use of this accommodation, working within the constraints of the configuration, whilst minimising risks from covid-19.

We will follow the model which the MOD has adopted which is to continue to use the dormitories as shared rooms but to limit occupancy ensuring a minimum distance between beds of at least 2 metres. This will be complemented by a range of additional safety measures including increased cleaning of surfaces, availability of hand sanitisers, a track and trace system and extensive communications with residents around covid-19 control measures.

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