On Friday 12th June, local authorities urged the government to suspend certain clauses of the controversial hostile environment policy especially during the coronavirus pandemic to help immigrants.
According to the Local Government Association (LGA), many are struggling to survive during this crisis without any safety net and access to basic needs. Now the councils have asked for the temporary suspension of the “No Recourse to Public Funds” (NRPF) clause as people who have this status attached to their visas have been approaching them for emergency and financial assistance considering they have lost their jobs. NRPF was introduced in 2012 under the hostile environment policy introduced by then home secretary Theresa May to prevent immigrants from taking away “British jobs” and draining Britain’s resources.
These immigrants are granted with the right to work in the UK but cannot access most benefits if they were unemployed. Considering the lockdown, many businesses have shut down or downsized meaning that these immigrants have either lost their jobs or are on an indefinite furlough scheme. Thus, with no income or bare minimum salary they are struggling to feed their families and pay rent. Many face losing their homes after the temporary restrictions on evictions are lifted.
Hundreds of thousands of these migrant workers were employed into the restaurant and hotel industry and have struggled to pay rents since losing their jobs. Although landlords are prevented from evicting tenants during lockdown, many who have informal tenancies have lost their homes. Homelessness charities have already warned of the rise in the homeless migrant workers with the “NRPF” status
But the LGA believes that a suspension of the NRPF condition would allow people to claim welfare benefits, which could stave off homelessness.
Since March charities all over the country have been helping to feed families designated with this immigration status. Councils have also been given special dispensation to house homeless migrants with this immigration status for the duration of the pandemic, but there is no longer-term provision especially as the prime minister has warned of further job cuts.
David Renard, the LGA’s housing spokesman, said: “Councils have been doing everything they can to support all groups facing homelessness. Councils are now planning their next steps in supporting people to move on from emergency accommodation. A temporary removal of the NRPF condition would reduce public health risks and pressures on homelessness services by enabling vulnerable people to access welfare benefits.”
