{"id":432,"date":"2026-01-19T09:29:39","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T09:29:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/?p=432"},"modified":"2026-01-19T09:30:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T09:30:08","slug":"refugee-homelessness-and-the-uk-response-to-world-crises-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/refugee-homelessness-and-the-uk-response-to-world-crises-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Refugee homelessness and the UK response to world crises\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id432_c82d1f-2e .kb-table-of-content-wrap{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);background-color:#e7e7dd;border-top:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-right:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-bottom:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-left:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-top-left-radius:0.5rem;border-top-right-radius:0.5rem;border-bottom-right-radius:0.5rem;border-bottom-left-radius:0.5rem;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id432_c82d1f-2e .kb-table-of-contents-title-wrap{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id432_c82d1f-2e .kb-table-of-contents-title{font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id432_c82d1f-2e .kb-table-of-content-wrap .kb-table-of-content-list{color:#1b67a1;font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;margin-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xs, 1rem);margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id432_c82d1f-2e .kb-table-of-content-wrap .kb-table-of-content-list .kb-table-of-contents__entry:hover{color:#111111;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id432_c82d1f-2e .kb-table-of-content-list li{margin-bottom:8px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id432_c82d1f-2e .kb-table-of-content-list li .kb-table-of-contents-list-sub{margin-top:8px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id432_c82d1f-2e .kb-toggle-icon-style-basiccircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id432_c82d1f-2e .kb-toggle-icon-style-basiccircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id432_c82d1f-2e .kb-toggle-icon-style-arrowcircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id432_c82d1f-2e .kb-toggle-icon-style-arrowcircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id432_c82d1f-2e .kb-toggle-icon-style-xclosecircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id432_c82d1f-2e .kb-toggle-icon-style-xclosecircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before{background-color:#e7e7dd;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id432_c82d1f-2e .kb-table-of-content-wrap{border-top:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-right:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-bottom:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-left:1px solid #d0d0d0;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id432_c82d1f-2e .kb-table-of-content-wrap{border-top:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-right:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-bottom:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-left:1px solid #d0d0d0;}}<\/style>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Effects of the shorter move-on period for most refugees\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Labour\u2019s abrupt return to the 28-day move-on period in September is pushing vulnerable people into rough sleeping and exposing them to fraud and abuse,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/national.thelead.uk\/p\/new-asylum-policies-homeless-target-far-right-exploitation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">says Chaminda Jayanetti<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0<em>The Lead<\/em>. The change to a shorter period affects most single refugees (families and \u201cvulnerable\u201d people are still eligible for the 56-day notice period).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The change is making homeless refugees \u201ctargets for the far right\u201d,&nbsp;Jayanetti&nbsp;argues<em>.&nbsp;<\/em>Not only is the changed move-on period too short, but refugees in London are then being offered homelessness placements in the North or Midlands,&nbsp;which they are refusing because of the greater risk of suffering racial attacks. \u201cOnce councils have withdrawn their help, refugees are left to try to rent privately&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;and become vulnerable to fraud,\u201d she reports.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over 60 organisations, including CIH,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/naccom.org.uk\/open-letter-over-60-organisations-write-to-the-government-urging-them-to-reverse-the-shortening-of-the-move-on-period\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">wrote<\/a>\u00a0to the\u00a0home\u00a0secretary in October, opposing the September change in the move-on period. After receiving a negative response, NACCOM and Homeless Link put together a further reply to\u00a0government,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/homelesslink-1b54.kxcdn.com\/media\/documents\/Response_to_SoS_letter_move_on_period_1512.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">which you can read here<\/a>. This second letter has now received a reply from Home Office minister Alex Norris, which you can read\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/homelesslink-1b54.kxcdn.com\/media\/documents\/Alex_Norris_Response_7_January.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">here<\/a>. There is not a great deal of\u00a0new information\u00a0in the new letter, other than a commitment to publish the evaluation of the 56-day pilot in \u201cspring 2026\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 56-day pilot (for families and \u201cvulnerable\u201d people only), due to end in December, has now been extended to the end of January. A\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/homeless.org.uk\/news\/updates-on-asylum-move-on-period\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">blog<\/a>\u00a0on the Homeless Link website summarises recent developments.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Temporary relief from the shorter move-on period\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Solicitors Deighton Pierce Glynn brought judicial review proceedings challenging the move back to a 28-day period for single people and sought interim relief to prevent evictions, including one claim in which generic relief was sought on behalf of all newly recognised refugees affected by the pause.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a result, a temporary concession was granted by the home secretary, but only until 16 January. Up to that date, asylum accommodation and subsistence support could be extended for up to 56 days from the grant of leave to remain where an individual would otherwise be at imminent risk of street homelessness. An estimated 3,000 people who would otherwise have been evicted during this period were eligible for&nbsp;extensions&nbsp;if&nbsp;they would otherwise face street homeless.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The full background and details of how this temporary relief\u00a0operated\u00a0are\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dpglaw.co.uk\/home-secretary-reaches-interim-agreement-to-disapply-28-day-move-on-period-to-avert-imminent-street-homelessness-following-legal-challenge-brought-by-dpg-clients\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">available from DPG<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Local authority housing fund\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Round 4 announced\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In November, the government published the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/local-authority-housing-fund-round-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">prospectus and guidance for the Local Authority Housing Fund: Round 4<\/a>. The \u00a3950\u00a0million\u00a0in\u00a0government funding for the fourth round will help councils in England increase their supply of better-quality temporary accommodation for families with children. The fund will also provide sustainable settled housing for some families on the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP).\u202fThe programme will run over four\u00a0financial years\u00a0\u2014\u00a02026\/27 through to 2029\/30\u00a0\u2014\u00a0and there will be \u00a310 million\u00a0in\u00a0revenue funding to support\u00a0the\u00a0delivery of the fund.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">European cities pioneer solutions for refugee housing\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Housing Rights website\u2019s Sue Lukes\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.migrationwork.org\/news\/were-working-on-it-three-european-cities-developing-ways-to-enable-refugees-to-move-into-longer-term-adequate-housing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">writes<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0<em>MigrationWork<\/em>\u00a0about three European cities (Dortmund,\u00a0Gothenburg\u00a0and Vienna)\u00a0that\u00a0are developing ways to enable refugees to move into longer-term, adequate housing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Responding to world crises\u00a0\u2014\u00a0a positive appraisal of UK\u2019s response to Ukrainian refugees\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A British Red Cross\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.redcross.org.uk\/about-us\/what-we-do\/we-speak-up-for-change\/ukraine-lessons-learned-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">report<\/a>\u00a0looks at the experience of\u00a0assisting\u00a0Ukrainians in the UK and concludes that the speed,\u00a0flexibility\u00a0and accessibility of the UK\u2019s response was novel and offered a route to safety.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Community networks helped people displaced from Ukraine feel welcome\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Children\u2019s education provided vital stability and supported community integration\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While widely accessed, English language classes and employment support did not meet everyone\u2019s needs\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Most respondents hope to remain in the UK if possible\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Short-term visas and a lack of information limited opportunities and created uncertainty.\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report recommends:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Secure long-term visa pathways for Ukrainians and other displaced people that offer the stability to integrate and real choice about their futures\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Uphold family unity in responses to forced displacement, supporting both access to safety and integration\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Develop a national strategy for displaced people that better coordinates and sustainably funds integration support, including improved language learning and employment support<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create a Displacement Response Framework, built on lessons from\u00a0the Ukraine,\u00a0Afghanistan\u00a0and Syria responses, which\u00a0is ready to activate in future emergencies. \u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.bham.ac.uk\/supportukrainians\/displaced-ukrainians-in-the-uk-experiences-and-future-intentions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">Birmingham University report<\/a>\u00a0<em>\u2014\u00a0<\/em>titled\u00a0<em>Displaced Ukrainians in the UK\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Experiences and Future Intentions<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 also\u00a0looks\u00a0at these issues and calls for a five-year pathway to permanent residence.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More on world crises\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Home Office has restarted processing of Syrian settlement applications.\u00a0<em>Free Movement\u00a0<\/em>has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/freemovement.org.uk\/home-office-recommences-processing-of-syrian-settlement-applications\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">guidance<\/a>\u00a0on what this means. \u201cSyrians who have rebuilt their lives abroad face uncertainty over their futures amid hardening of attitudes,\u201d\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/dec\/10\/countries-push-to-return-syrians-home-fall-of-assad\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">says\u00a0<em>the<\/em>\u00a0<em>Guardian<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Melissa Pawson, reporting from the Mediterranean,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.opendemocracy.net\/en\/libya-eu-migration-torture-detainment-europe-asylum-boats-mediterranean-search-rescue-boats-humanity-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">tells\u00a0<em>openDemocracy<\/em><\/a>\u00a0that Europe is paying Libya to torture migrants on its behalf.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Free Movement<\/em>\u00a0has updated\u00a0its\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/freemovement.org.uk\/what-safe-and-legal-routes-are-available-for-refugees-to-come-to-the-united-kingdom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">review<\/a>\u00a0of the (limited)\u00a0\u2018safe and legal routes\u2019\u00a0for people to reach the UK.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Effects of the shorter move-on period for most refugees\u00a0 Labour\u2019s abrupt return to the 28-day move-on period in September is pushing vulnerable people into rough&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":433,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","slim_seo":{"title":"Refugee homelessness and the UK response to world crises\u00a0 - Housing Rights","description":"Effects of the shorter move-on period for most refugees\u00a0 Labour\u2019s abrupt return to the 28-day move-on period in September is pushing vulnerable people into 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