Asylum: Coronavirus

(asked on 30th October 2020) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on issuing discontinuation letters to people living in asylum accommodation who (a) have had their asylum claim or fresh claim refused and (b) were eligible for asylum accommodation on public health grounds during the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Chris Philp Portrait
Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
This question was answered on 5th November 2020

Failed asylum seekers who have exhausted their appeal rights are eligible to receive accommodation and other support provided they take reasonable steps to leave the UK or there is a legal or practical obstacle to their departure. Only failed asylum seekers who are able to take steps to leave the UK, but choose not to, are therefore issued with notices that their support will be discontinued.

The process of issuing discontinuation notices is kept under regular review, taking consideration of public health guidance and the impact of the virus on those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. The issuing of notices was paused on 27 March, but resumed on 15 September for some cases, starting with failed asylum seekers living in tier 1 and 2 areas in England at the time of the decision being prioritised over other cases.

The number of discontinuation notices issued to those living in Manchester, Greater Manchester and Liverpool since 27 March is not in a recordable format and to do so would be at a disproportionate cost.

Information on the number of people in receipt of support are published here https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets#asylum-support this includes applications, supported persons and those discontinued. The Home Office does not publish a breakdown by individual Local authority.

This is being kept under continual review, particularly in light of the fact that we are only issuing negative cessation notices where a route back to the home country exists for the individual, amongst other things. An offer of voluntary return is made, in each case, including flights being paid for and a cash sum of X is offered as well.

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