Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent report by Refugee Rights Europe A Hostile Environment on the challenges facing asylum-seekers currently residing in asylum accommodation in the UK, particularly with regard to concerns about (1) safety, (2) welfare, and (3) sanitary conditions.

Accommodation providers are required to provide safe, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped accommodation that complies with the Decent Homes Standard in addition to standards outlined in relevant national or local housing legislation.

The contract requires Providers to visit and inspect each property every month and UKVI inspects a significant proportion of properties each year to ensure standards are being met. During inspections they ensure that the accommodation is safe. There are trained staff on site in initial accommodation to protect the safety and welfare of all service users.

Communal area of initial accommodation sites are cleaned regularly by service provider staff. It is the responsibility of the service user to ensure that their bedrooms and kitchens are kept clean.

Where asylum accommodation is found to be falling short of the required standards UKVI has procedures in place to hold suppliers to account to quickly resolve the issue.