Naccom, the national charity made up of nearly 150 refugee and migrant support organisations, has raised the alarm about rising levels of migrant homelessness in the UK.
Members of the charity accommodated the highest numbers of homeless since 2013, providing 672,807 nights of accommodation to 4,434 homeless people. Of these people, 829 were sleeping rough when they reached out, a figure that has more than doubled from the previous year. As always with homelessness, these numbers can only give a snapshot of those reaching out for help, and the true depth of the crisis is likely much larger.
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Bridget Young, the Naccom director, said: “Our survey findings paint a bleak picture of a continuing crisis with no end in sight. Successive governments have expanded the hostile environment through constant, reactive policy changes that make it easier for people to fall into destitution and homelessness and harder to find a way out.
“The survey period coincided with a terrifying summer of rioting organised by the far right and anti-immigration sentiment has continued to creep into mainstream politics, encapsulated by recent policy announcements that are set to increase homelessness and destitution further.”
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The organisation cites “near-constant government policy changes” as one of the key reasons behind the increase. Immigration has once again become a forefront of public discussion, and one of the most hot-button topics in politics today. The current government has been scrambling to show they have a tight grip on the issue, resulting in various stance switches, including the recent immigration measures which shortened refugee status and removed compulsory housing and financial support. Digital visas are also cited as one of the key contributors, something many refugee and migrants don’t have access to, creating a significant obstacle to support services.
Continued stance switches come with a direct human cost, as decisions that determine the futures of families become political bargaining chips. For those caught in the middle, they risk ending up with nowhere to go, and with no access to support services in place to help bring them off the streets. The emotive nature of the debates around immigration also mean that many of those applying for accommodation have reported being assaulted or stolen from by those sharing anti-refugee sentiments.
