Asylum

The asylum system in the UK is complex and there are huge backlogs for claims: there are more than 175,000 people in the UK waiting for the first decision on their asylum application. Because of the backlog, the Home Office has opened ‘contingency hotels’ around the country to house people who are waiting for their applications to be assessed.

Asylum in Islington

In Islington, there are more than 800 people seeking asylum staying in hotels, many who have been living there for more than two years. Every person seeking asylum that is staying in a hotel in the borough is an Islington resident.

Our No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF), Refugee and Migrant service works with a range of community partners to provide support and help asylum seekers to access services.

Welfare support and statutory services

The Home Office provides accommodation, meals, a small subsistence allowance of £9.40 per week and limited casework for people staying in contingency hotels. But most asylum seeker still suffer from poor living conditions, with no right to work and continued uncertainty. We work with voluntary and community sector (VCS) groups, commissioned organisations and public health officials to look after residents and improve wellbeing. 

Children’s services and adult social care

We carry out age assessments of any young persons in the hotels. Anyone identified as under 18 is taken into the care of the council as an unaccompanied asylum seeking child (UASC). 

Any suspected trafficking victims are identified and investigated through the national referral mechanism. 

Health and wellbeing

We work with local GPs and integrated care boards to make sure that all residents are registered and able to access medical care. We make referrals to secondary and specialist care, such as mental health support or hospitals.

We monitor a variety of public health indicators and carry out vaccinations.

Commissioned services

We commission local organisations to provide a range of welfare support, including welcome sessions for new arrivals, legal workshops, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) sessions, weekly drop-ins, safeguarding referrals, social activities and community connections. 

We also work with local charities, businesses and community groups to promote general wellbeing by providing access to art, music, sport and fitness. 

Single point of contact and advocacy for improvements to asylum seeker services

We host host and coordinate an Operational Working Group and Strategic Board to make sure that the statutory organisations involved in contingency hotels work together.

Where we can, we recommend and support improvements to conditions at the hotels, more support for people seeking asylum and extra resources for integration and welfare work.

No Recourse to Public Funds, Migrant and Refugee service

The NRPF, Migrant and Refugee team coordinate council and VCS activities and act as the single point of contact for external organisations. 

We provide expert advice for other services and carry-out weekly drop-ins to hear from people seeking asylum to better understand their needs. 

Community safety

Our community safety and emergency planning teams work with local police and anti-terrorism officers to ensure the safety of all residents.

We monitor external hotel security and reports of difficult behaviour.

Move-on support

Many people seeking asylum experience long stays in contingency hotels as their claims are assessed by the Home Office.

Once someone receives refugee status, they have leave to remain in the country, can work and access public funds and begin rebuilding their lives in their new home. As Islington residents, we have a duty of care to those leaving the hotels, and we are working with colleagues in the council and with outside partners to help people with their move-on plans. 

Once you have refugee status, we recommend reading our 'Moving on from asylum accommodation' guide. This also available in Amharic, Arabic, Farsi (Persian), Kurdish, Pashto and Tigrinya.

Download 'Moving on from asylum accommodation' guide in English.

If you are seeking asylum 

If you are want to make an asylum claim, visit the Government website for more information.

If you are in Islington and thinking about making an asylum application or need help with your claim, the Islington Law Centre’s Immigration Unit may be able to provide free support.