Immigration rules undermining rough sleeping efforts

New guidance has shed light on the new rough sleeping Immigration Rules, but the Homeless Link charity remains deeply concerned about the impact they will have on vulnerable non-UK nationals and community trust in homelessness services.  

Changes to the Immigration Rules published on 22 October 2020 made rough sleeping grounds for refusing or cancelling a person’s right to remain in the UK and new guidance published last week has clarified the government’s intended approach. Homeless Link says that such rules will drive people who are already vulnerable away from the support they need and will hamper efforts to end rough sleeping.

The charity believes that by sowing fear and distrust in services, they directly undermine the work of the homelessness sector at a time when it is - in many ways - more difficult than ever.  For these reasons, Homeless Link is calling for these 'damaging and potentially discriminatory rules' to be scrapped immediately. 

Rick Henderson, chief executive of Homeless Link, comments: “While we welcome the emphasis on the limited circumstances in which the Rules should apply, Homeless Link and our members remain deeply concerned about their impact, unintended and otherwise, on some of the most vulnerable people sleeping rough. We continue to call for these damaging Rules to be scrapped immediately. 

“These Rules will certainly drive people away from the support they need and will hamper efforts to end rough sleeping. By sowing fear and distrust in services, they directly undermine the work of our members in the  homelessness sector at a time when it is, in many ways, more challenging than ever. Fundamentally, this policy goes against decades of good practice and learning on what works to support people who are sleeping rough, especially those who struggle to engage with services. 

“To achieve the goal of ending rough sleeping by 2024, we need a joined up, cross-Government approach that is not compromised by hard-line immigration policies. We urge the Government to continue the successful approach taken with Everyone In, to prioritise public health and support-led, trauma-informed measures. In addition to the suspension of NRPF restrictions during the ongoing pandemic, we call for urgent investment in independent immigration advice and employment support, to help non-UK nationals to end their homelessness for good.”