Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent (a) impact assessments, (b) public sector equality duty assessments and (c) consultations with stakeholders have been conducted in relation to changes to immigration law and rough sleeping.

The new Immigration Rules make provision for the refusal or cancellation of permission to stay in the UK on the basis of rough sleeping. The new rule will apply on a discretionary basis to non-EEA citizens from 1 December 2020 and to newly arriving EEA citizens from 1 January 2021. The provision will be used sparingly and only where individuals have refused support offers such as accommodation and are engaged in persistent anti-social behaviour.

An Equality Impact Assessment was completed for all the Immigration Rules laid on 22 October 2020.

The Home Office and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government are working together to encourage local authorities and approved charities to resolve the immigration status of eligible rough sleepers and unlock access to any benefits and entitlements that rough sleepers may be eligible for.