Asylum: Housing
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 29 May 2026 to Question 2564 on Asylum: Housing, what estimate she has made of the number of asylum seekers who will have their accommodation withdrawn under the Immigration and Asylum (Provision of Accommodation to Failed Asylum-Seekers) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 in their first 12 months of operation.
Answered by Alex Norris
The intention of this policy is to encourage compliance with conditions of support and permission to work rules, and to only remove support from those who break the rules and work illegally. We cannot provide an estimation of the number of asylum seekers who will have their accommodation withdrawn in the first 12 months of operation as we do not yet know what the deterrent impact of the policy will be.
However, we do not expect there to be a sudden increase in the number of individuals whose support is discontinued from 2 June as we currently discontinue support for individuals who work illegally but rely on legislation relating to fraud rather than illegal working. These changes strengthen our legal position and set out a clear direct consequence for working illegally while receiving asylum support.
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