RAMP Associates Speak at Lords Debate on Asylum Accommodation

There was an debate on asylum accommodation in the Lords today, following an Oral Question by Lord Evans on the standard of hotel accommodation provided to migrants who have entered the UK in small boats from France.

RAMP Associates Baroness Lister and Lord German asked questions to Lord Hanson, the Minister of State of Home Affairs

Baroness Lister asked Lord Hanson about the steps the Home Office is taking to strengthen safeguarding procedures following reports documenting unsafe treatment experienced by many asylum seekers living in hotels, especially LGBTQ people, women and children

In his response, the Minister stated the importance of safeguarding and reiterated the government's goal to move all asylum seekers out of hotels as soon as practical. He also noted that hotel use and associated costs have decreased compared to last year, and efforts to further reduce them are ongoing.

Lord German raised concerns about the suitability of current asylum accommodation for both local communities and asylum seekers. He asked the Minister about the government's progress on reducing the asylum case backlog and the potential for allowing asylum seekers to work to support themselves.

Lord Hanson reported that there was a significant reduction in the use of supported asylum accommodation, citing a 15% decrease since the end of 2024 and a 42% decrease since September 2023. He also stated that resources redirected from the Rwanda scheme have been used to speed up asylum processing, and the possibility of allowing asylum seekers to work remains under consideration.