A New City: Supporting Asylum Seekers and Refugees in London

A New City: Supporting Asylum Seekers and Refugees in London

Description: "London has a long history of providing sanctuary to asylum seekers, but rising numbers of arrivals have increased pressures on services in the capital.

at least 85 per cent of asylum seekers and refugees in the UK live in the capital
up to 80,000 asylum seekers were being supported by London boroughs in April 2000
many boroughs are housing asylum seekers in costly and/or unsuitable units due to accommodation shortages
in 1999/2000 local authorities that were supporting in-country asylum seekers spent around £30 million more than they could reclaim from government grants

The Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 introduced a national dispersal policy, partly to ease pressure on London, but asylum seekers and refugees will remain an important client group in the capital.

applicants currently supported by London boroughs will need assistance until their phased dispersal
those granted leave to remain may move to the city to find work
most unaccompanied minors will continue to be supported in London

Some local agencies have developed specific support services for asylum seekers and refugees in London...

some schools offer language support to asylum-seeking children and their carers
some boroughs use regeneration schemes to fund innovative employment and training projects
some health authorities have increased GPs' fees to enable them to devote more time to the health needs of asylum seekers and refugees
...but good practice is not universal and a number of challenges must be met.
variations in the costs of housing and support suggest that some boroughs make better use of resources than others
many unaccompanied young people do not receive the same care routinely offered to other children in need
the focus on providing food and shelter has made it difficult for authorities to develop comprehensive responses to asylum-seekers' needs
settlement issues are not routinely addressed
Local, regional and national agencies should work together to improve the quality of services for this client group.
London boroughs need to jointly commission services, where appropriate
the Greater London Authority could assist in developing more employment and training opportunities for those who settle in the capital
the Government needs to meet the reasonable costs of local support, review the grant regime for unaccompanied minors and ensure the smooth transfer of in-country applicants to the National Asylum Support Service (NASS)
London boroughs should review the services that they provide to asylum seekers and refugees in order to promote social inclusion and offer long-term opportunities to those who stay in the capital."

Free download in PDF format - 28 pages 2.9MB file

Help with PDF files

http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/