The government recently announced that it would reverse its extension of the move on period for newly recognised refugees, meaning people will once again have very, very little time to find somewhere to live before they are evicted from asylum accommodation. This is a horrifying decision that undoes a positive change and places people at renewed, greater, risk of homelessness.
To recap, for many years, newly recognised refugees faced being evicted from asylum accommodation so quickly that it was not realistically possible for them to find somewhere else to live, secure work, or access mainstream support. Prior to December 2024, newly recognised refugees had just 28 days from receipt of their ‘discontinuation of support’ letter to do all these things. As a result, people were put at huge risk of homelessness, and JRS UK regularly supported people forced onto the streets by this policy.
“The ‘move-on’ period before newly recognised refugees have their asylum support cut off is 28 days from when a Biometric Residence Permit card is issued to them.
Without this BRP, they cannot begin to seek other accommodation or work, or access mainstream support.”
Destitute and in Danger, 2024
Together with others, we called for an extension of the ‘move-on period’ to a minimum of 56 days – which would at least bring the policy on asylum accommodation into line with the Homelessness Reduction Act. In December 2024, the government announced a trial extension of the move-on period to 56 days. This was a really positive change thanks in part to so many supporters raising their voices.
Though more still needed to be done to prevent refugees from being made homelessness (and there were issues with how the 56 days were counted, as I highlighted at the time), this did make a real difference to people trying to navigate complex housing, employment and support systems. It was a rare step in the right direction.
On 7th July 2025, the government confirmed that the trial had been extended until the end of 2025. However, it has now reversed that decision. Newly recognised refugees, who were already struggling to secure somewhere to live within the new, 56-day framework, will once again only have 28-days to do this. Just as we begin approaching the colder months, this move will plunge people into rough sleeping, leaving them deeply vulnerable, undermining the government’s wider aim to reduce homelessness, and placing huge pressure on local authorities. This is also happening at a time when refugees are at growing risk of racist violence and abuse. Everyone deserves a safe, secure, and dignified place to live and rest. This hugely regressive policy change makes that so much more difficult.
Sophie Cartwright, Senior Policy Officer
You can help change this! Write to your MP and ask them to call for the government to, at a minimum, keep the 56-day move on period and ensure newly recognised refugees can access safe, secure housing.
