Liverpool is struggling to cope with a surge in homelessness among newly recognised refugees, following a government policy change that reduced the time given to leave Home Office accommodation from 28 days to around seven. The Red Cross has warned that up to 50,000 refugees could be made homeless across the UK by the end of the year.
Armin, 24, fled Iran after converting to Christianity and being targeted by the Basij morality police. He was granted refugee status last month but was given just ten days to vacate his Home Office housing. “I don’t know where I will go,” he said. The Merseyside Refugee Support Network, which used to provide advice and referrals, now hands out tents and sleeping bags. Manager Seana Roberts said: “We used to be a refugee charity, now we’re a homelessness charity.”
Since August, the charity has seen around 150 homeless refugees, compared to two or three per year previously. Support worker AlHussain Ahmed, himself a former Sudanese refugee, often sees clients sleeping rough in a nearby park. He helps them apply for universal credit and housing, but says waiting lists are long. “The reality is they are going to be street homeless,” he said.
Liverpool is one of the largest Home Office dispersal areas. The council expects over 1,000 asylum seekers to receive decisions by Christmas, with many likely to become homeless. The city is already in a housing crisis, with landlords leaving the market due to rising mortgage costs. Council spending on temporary accommodation has soared from £250,000 three years ago to an expected £19m by the end of 2023.
Council leader Liam Robinson called for a national plan, saying every local authority should take its fair share of asylum seekers and refugees. “We won’t turn our backs on anyone, but we need the government to have a much more thorough plan,” he said. Roberts fears the situation will worsen as Christmas approaches. “It feels like a hopeless situation,” she added.
