Refugees: Homelessness Debate

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Department: Home Office

Refugees: Homelessness

Baroness Chakrabarti Excerpts
Wednesday 13th December 2023

(11 months, 2 weeks ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Sharpe of Epsom Portrait Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con)
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I will take that up with DWP colleagues, as it sounds very much like it is for their department. I cannot answer the question.

Baroness Chakrabarti Portrait Baroness Chakrabarti (Lab)
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My Lords, in the spirit of Christmas, will the Minister reflect on his answer to the right reverend Prelate that 28 days is “more than enough” for a recognised refugee about to be evicted, whose knowledge of English may be minimal, who may have children and who might have suffered trauma back home?

Lord Sharpe of Epsom Portrait Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con)
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Yes, I think so, because the refugee will have been processed under a legacy asylum case and will therefore have been in that accommodation for a very long time—over a year. They would have had ample time to learn English and embed themselves to some extent into British society. An extra month is perfectly generous.