Move On period extended to 56 days
We are extremely pleased to hear that the UK Government and Home Office have finally extended the move on period to 56 days. While we await an official announcement and communications on the practicalities from the Home Office, let’s recap what we know so far.
In many different areas of the UK, from Glasgow to London, the number of newly granted refugees becoming homeless is increasing. This usually peaks around this time of the year, when local authorities’ homelessness services are under more pressure than usual. Here in Wales, disappointingly, we do not have any official statistics. From our own data, we know that 85% of the newly granted refugees we see in our Cardiff office will require homelessness assistance from the local authority.
The existing 28-day move on period is incredibly restrictive. In that short time, among other things, newly granted refugees need to:
- Open a bank account
- Apply for benefits (Universal Credit takes six weeks to process)
- Try to find employment
- Secure accommodation
At this point, many have yet to master the new language and have very little savings. For a moment, think about how long it would take you to set up all of this if you were starting off in a brand-new country?
We, and others in the sector, have long campaigned for the extension of the Move On period from 28 to 56 days. We are not asking for a preferential treatment of newly granted refugees; we want equity for them. The Housing Wales Act grants 56 days to access a local authorities’ homelessness support if someone is threatened with homelessness. That newly granted refugees were only awarded half the time was always unjust.
That takes us up to today’s news that from 9 December, newly granted refugees will be awarded 56 days of move on. However, it seems that the 56-day move on period will begin from the moment they are granted status, not from when they receive their eVisa. We know that without an eVisa, and previously a BRP (Biometric Residence Permit), newly granted refugees face challenges with the simplest of steps, even opening a bank account. So in practical terms, refugees will have fewer than 56 days to move on.
This move to 56 days is currently a temporary change until June 2025. The Home Office will be monitoring process over these months to evaluate effectiveness of extending the move on period for people seeking to start to rebuild their lives.
So what happens now?
While we are grateful for this change, and it is certainly a step in the right direction, it is not perfect.
We ask that the 56-day move on period starts from the moment a newly granted refugee receives their eVisa. Many applicants have been unable to access their eVisa under the new system. Starting the move on period before that is unfairly punishing a newly granted refugee for a bureaucratic procedure they have no control over.
We will continue to use our voice to call for a fair asylum system that works for all. Last month we introduced an open petition calling for the extension. The move to 56 days should:
- Be a permanent change to bring refugee rights in line with homelessness support available across Wales
- Begin from the moment a refugee receives their eVisa
- Be protected in law
That is why we are supporting Baroness Ruth Lister’s Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Private Members Bill.