no limit on child detention, no protection from modern slavery, prison ships for people charged with no crime in the UK

[orangeleavesinautumn]

How the government treat asylum seekers, most of whom will be proven to be genuine refugees, fleeing persecution.

This is not how to treat people fleeing war, torture, threats, persecution

All because THEY ( the government) have messed up the application system, and now have such a back log they cant cope, and don't know where to house the people who are waiting.

How about investing in extra staff to clear the back log of people waiting? Rather than abusing the people waiting?

The terrorist threat has just raised in the U.K. - but let’s just bring in thousands of randoms from overseas.

You are wrong! @loislovesstewie is correct. I work in this specific area of law. I suspect there were other issues regarding the family with a child on the street. Social Services at the very least would have a duty to accommodate.( the whole family not just the child, if it is only housing that is the issue)

Put them up North and yes they would. Actually be willing to give the over 55's a job and you'll get ex SW/Social Care workers etc etc, but then perhaps they aren't the people who they want.

We know exactly who the terrorists are. In every incident there's been a failure by services why that person has had free, undocumented movement etc. Unfortunately random people are caught up in war, fleeing persecution etc, so yes, we need to take in and process those people.

It sickens me even more that this country has become so unwelcoming that this attitude might win votes.

If you exclude Albanians, most people who come here on boats come from countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Syria.

Pretty sure they coming from France, one of the safest countries in Western Europe where over 100 million people holiday willingly every year.

The country hasn't. The self serving, incompetent, theiving government that nobody wants and will be out on their arses come an election has.

The two need to be separated because this government doesn't represent the country any more (if it ever did).

Not really a slave ship. The residents are being shipped off daily to the local town.

https://news.sky.com/story/who-will-be-living-on-the-bibby-stockholm-and-whats-it-like-on-board-the-barge-12922759

They only have that right once they have been granted refugee status.

Same with benefits: only eligible once they have refugee status.

and OP didn't bother to come back with her solution, just slag off every way these people are being looked after, I can only assume she is busy sorting out her many spare rooms so she can take in numerous people who deserve better treatment.

There are 35 million refugees in the world.
108 million displaced people.

2 questions:

1. Where should refugees go?
2. Where do people think they go at the moment?

So again:

35 million refugees in the world.

Türkiye hosts the largest number of refugees, with 3.6 million people, followed by the Islamic Republic of Iran with 3.4 million people. Colombia is third with 2.5 million, including other people in need of international protection.
Türkiye 3.6 million
Islamic Republic of Iran 3.4 million
Colombia 2.5 million
Germany 2.1 million
Pakistan 1.7 million

Over half of all refugees under UNHCR’s mandate and other people in need of international protection come from just three countries.
Syrian Arab Republic 6.8 million
Ukraine 5.7 million
Afghanistan 5.7 million

Low- and middle-income countries host 76 per cent of the world’s refugees and other people in need of international protection. The Least Developed Countries provide asylum to 20 per cent of the total.

70 per cent of refugees and other people in need of international protection lived in countries neighbouring their countries of origin.

Most refugees do stay in countries near the country of origin.
A tiny few want to come to the UK

UNHCR - Refugee Statistics
If we had more ways of applying for asylum through legal routes, we would see less people trying to claim asylum using the boats route.

But we don't have many safe routes for people from countries where refugees are coming from.

Safe and Legal routes

• Between 2015 and March 2023, so over 8 years we have offered places to over half a million (511,998) people seeking safety. This includes:
• 249,871 people under Ukraine Scheme visas, of which at least 169,300 have arrived in the UK
• 166,420 BN(O) status holders and their family members, of which 113,500 have arrived in the UK
• 49,492 vulnerable people and children as part of Afghan resettlement and relocation, the Syrian Resettlement programme and other resettlement programmes (e.g. UK Resettlement scheme, which has resettled 2,192 since its launch in 2021)
• 46,215 family reunion grants since 2015

BN(O) is the Hong Kong programme

The resettlement programmes:

• The global resettlement scheme is open to vulnerable refugees around the world. Individuals coming through this scheme are assessed and referred by the UNHCR according to their criteria, which is based on people’s needs and vulnerabilities.
• People coming via this route only move to the UK once suitable accommodation is in place for them. Since its launch in 2021, the UK has taken refugees through this route from countries including Ethiopia, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen.
• Since the first arrivals under the new UK Resettlement scheme in March 2021, 2,192 refugees have been resettled in the UK via the UKRS, as of March 2023.

Our family reunion policy has reunited many refugees with their family members; more than 46,200 family reunion visas have been granted since 2015, with over half issued to children

Safe and Legal (Humanitarian) Routes factsheet – May 2023 - Home Office in the media (blog.gov.uk)

So really, the safe and legal routes (if you are not one of the main schemes) is possibly being resettled - but the new UK resettlement scheme hasn't taken many people or the family reunion (again 46,200 over 8 years)

Compared to other countries, we could do better.

It's a deterrent. Let's hope it's effective.

And I later corrected myself; I meant to say successful asylum seekers , i.e refugees ,are allowed to to access social housing either by means of the homeless legislation or by the housing register.

I suggest you go and look round a few emergency shelters for rough sleepers in London- overflowing with refugees , male and female, all ages, who have been sleeping rough, and cant get any sort of housing.

I suggest you also go and poke around a few bushes in central London parks, you will most likely find other pre-teen age children sleeping rough, including refugees.

You said that asylum seekers have a right to housing and refugees don't. That is incorrect. Refugees have exactly the same rights as UK citizens for housing (and benefits) I was not disputing that there are many refugees that are rough sleeping or in homeless hostels, hotels etc. But they DO have a right to homelessness assistance in the same way as any UK citizen.

Asylum seekers have no such rights to council assistance and are entitled to Home office accommodation until the outcome of their asylum application is known.

If their decision is negative and they are appealing the decision, they are entitled to s4 accommodation.

Victims of trafficking and modern slavery can be referred by an agency to the National Referral Mechanism which entitles them to support (and they can be accommodated under this until the outcome of their case is known)

I understand you are angry and passionate about this subject, however if you really want to help in a meaningful way, it could be a good idea to signpost the people that you come across in these situations to the various legal services that can advocate and act on their behalf to challenge any unlawful barriers they come across in respect of their housing (which are rife in London Councils btw)

when an asylum seeker is granted refugee status, they are frequently removed from asylum seeker accommodation immediately. No matter what their state of health, no matter what their financial position, no matter what their level of English.

I have known a woman with no eyes simply steered through the door and locked out, and a man with no legs.

I am well aware of where to sign post people to, and well aware it will not do any good. I am well used to helping refugees find shelter, but it happens through charity, not through government channels.

@orangeleavesinautumn I was a homeless officer for over 25 years. I fully understand the homeless legislation. I've dealt with absolutely thousands of people in that time, I've seen rough sleepers, I've housed huge numbers of people. I was told I was very good at my job.
There will be many reasons that rough sleepers are doing just that, many will have been found to be not in priority need, some will have been found to be intentionally homeless, some actually refuse offers of accommodation in the mistaken belief that something better will appear. Some rough sleepers have multiple and complex issues and actually prefer to sleep out, unless the weather becomes too inclement or their health deteriorates.I have a huge amount of experience in all aspects of homelessness. It's also important to understand that there are limits to what local authorities can do, there isn't the money , there aren't enough properties. I can say, truthfully , that no one in priority need ever left my care without having somewhere to live. It might not have been what they wanted but it was a roof over their head. All of that takes time, it's emotionally draining for the person dealing with them i.e ,me, it's frustrating because I knew exactly what was available and what I could come up with.
The fact remains that refugees are able to apply, the normal rules still apply to them, and the real issue is the shortage of social housing and affordable private rents in the UK.
All of my colleagues did their very best for our customers , we knew that we couldn't resolve all of their issues, but we did our best. Criticism from people who don't understand the problems, the challenges, the shortage of housing and also the issues that the customers have and that often cause them to act against their own best interests help no one. Neither does thinking that public sector workers are lazy , don't care or only think of their pensions.

BTW there are lots of rough sleepers who are UK citizens ,some are ex military or have mental health issues.
The whole system is chronically underfunded.
Sorry for the rant, but I do know what I am talking about.

Another BTW, why were the family you mentioned ages ago rough sleeping? What ,exactly were there circumstances? I would like to know.

I am not having a go at you, I am very grateful for everything people like you do, I am just saying, the reality for many refugees, is rough sleeping, or emergency shelters for rough sleepers.

The Iranian family I mentioned were sleeping rough because they were turned down for accommodation, although they could have put their daughter into care they did not know if they would ever see her again if they did.

That is not the only refugee child I've known sleeping rough in London. WE can normally find them some sort of shelter even if it is illegal. Mosques, temples, churches, etc, may be able to offer a room with a mattress on the floor- churches in particular, as I am sure you know, the law about sleeping in churches is somewhat flexible - no toilet needed, etc.

Tell me why they were turned down, there will be a reason which might make sense.

That's what it said on the BBC to be fair - that the vast majority were Albanian and from a 'safe' country.

I'm going to end on this , every person who presents as homeless is entitled to a 'decision letter' usually called a s184 letter. That letter will give the reasons why an adverse decision is made, if that is the case; every decision can be subjected to review, often called an appeal, but the correct term is requesting a review of the decision. There are rules about how that takes place.
People whose 1st language is not English will have the services of an interpreter, they can contact a law centre CAB or advice centre if they require assistance in all this.
I am bemused by the family who are apparently sleeping rough.It doesn't make sense.

Depends on how you measure the stats and what you are measuring.

As usual, definitions count.

There is a backlog of asylum claims - so when you measure successful asylum claims, you are looking at a different data set and time frame to when you look at the small boat arrivals.

How many people cross the Channel in small boats and how many claim asylum? - BBC News

So yes - Albania does have the most claims.
But there are a lot of people coming from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Syria...and the success for an asylum claim from people from those countries is very high.

People need to delve deep into the stats and the numbers.

For context:
2,600,000 Afghan refugees are in Iran
1,700,000 refugees are in Pakistan

Countries in sub-Saharan Africa hosted 1 in 5 of all refugees globally. A total of 7 million refugees remained displaced at the end of 2022, a slight increase from the previous year.

The East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region hosted
4.7 million refugees, primarily in Uganda (1.5 million), Sudan (1.1 million) and Ethiopia (879,600), which is consistent with the previous year.

West and Central African countries hosted 1.6 million refugees at the end of 2022, 5 per cent more than the previous year. Almost 85 per cent of all refugees in the region resided in Chad (592,800), Cameroon (473,900) and Niger (255,300).
Countries in Southern Africa continued to host slightly more than three-quarters of a million refugees (773,000), with most residing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (520,500).

That's a lot of refugees in poor countries.

I am bemused by the family who are apparently sleeping rough.Itdoesn't make sense

Possibly it could make sense if we knew more about their circumstances?

For example:
Have they approached agencies for help at all, or are they among those who prefer to stay under the radar rather than become known to authorities?
Is it possible their application for refugee status has been refused, and that the possibility of deportation has led them to this?