Housing and immigration are inextricably linked. As our new report Destitute and in Danger documents, people without immigration status are unable to seek employment, access benefits or housing, leaving them extremely vulnerable to homelessness. In my role as Senior Caseworker in the Destitution team, I see refugee friends experiencing many forms of homelessness. This can look like staying with a different host each night, or sleeping outside in public spaces such as parks or buses.
Rough sleeping can be an extremely harrowing experience: you are not only exposed to the elements, but safety is also not always guaranteed. I was once working with a refugee friend who was sleeping rough in a park for a few months after their asylum claim was refused and their Home Office accommodation was discontinued.
Unfortunately, at the height of the far-right riots and rife anti-migrant sentiment this summer, this individual was cornered by masked men who told them to go back to their country. We have since supported our refugee friend to report this altercation and have managed to find them a place in an emergency night shelter. This an extremely positive result given that night shelters often have few available spaces, particularly in the summer months. We have also referred them to our Legal Team so they can access legal advice on their case and explore any further avenues to regularise their immigration status.
Even those who are able to sofa-surf and stay at a friend’s accommodation for a few nights face their own set of challenges. Tasks as simple as cooking to manage your diet or using the washing machine can be dependent on the generosity of their friends. With a lack of agency in such matters, it can in turn make it more difficult to engage with your legal case – thus prolonging destitution even further.
At JRS UK, we try where possible to refer refugee friends most in need of housing to night shelters, hosting schemes, or JRS UK’s own shared houses in the hope that we can offer people with some temporary respite whilst we look for long term solutions.
This support comes alongside the expert advice and welfare check-ins that the Destitution Team offers, as well as the wider holistic support offered by JRS: things like accessing food, phone credit, and destitution hardship grants. We are also fortunate enough to have a Legal team who can offer advice on next steps for refugee friends’ immigration cases. After all, homelessness is a multi-faceted problem that needs a multi-faceted solution.
JRS UK’s new report, Destitute and in Danger, examines the experiences of homelessness among people refused asylum.
