The Home Office’s homelessness and Asylum and Protection Intake and Accommodation teams have produced this information note detailing the routes to access accommodation for asylum seekers who are rough sleeping after being released on Immigration Bail from Manston immigration centre. This population should be able to access support through Asylum Initial Accommodation.
The note sets out the process in contacting the Routing Initial Accommodation (IA) team who oversee Asylum Initial Accommodation. Frontline homelessness services can make use of the referral routes detailed in the note. You should only complete this for people with current open asylum claims.
It also sets out updated information for anyone who is either at immediate risk of, or is currently, rough sleeping who has not yet claimed asylum but would like to do so. This includes confirmation that:
- Croydon Asylum Intake Unit (CIU at Lunar House) have confirmed that if an individual arrives at CIU during their normal working hours to claim asylum and is assessed as needing accommodation, they will not be sent away.
- Reporting Centre and ICE staff at all UK locations have been advised to inform any homeless asylum applicants of the route to access initial asylum support accommodation. In the event that an individual is not eligible for Home Office accommodation, asylum support signposting to local voluntary sector organisations will be done only with permission by those organisations to have their contact information shared.
The information in this note is about ensuring that asylum seekers are supported to access the accommodation they’re entitled to if they are rough sleeping. This is only relevant for people who have an open asylum claim OR who have not yet claimed asylum but would like to do so.
If you have any questions or concerns about the information in the note, you can contact the Home Office Homelessness Team about any specific process questions, and find the referral form here.