Joint statement on the impact of proposed reforms to asylum support under the Immigration Act 2016 on stateless people in the UK
We are deeply alarmed by the UK government’s proposed reforms to asylum support, set out in its 'Family Returns' consultation on implementing provisions of the Immigration Act 2016.
These proposals would significantly restructure and reduce access to support for people who have been refused asylum, including removing asylum support from families 90 days after refusal. In England, they would also limit access to local authority support for families and care leavers without immigration status. They would put children at risk of destitution, and significantly increase destitution among people refused asylum or without an immigration status, including stateless individuals and families who may not have a had a chance to regularise their stay.
Stateless people, in particular, are already disproportionately forced into prolonged destitution and legal limbo. These proposals could have a specific and egregious impact on them, and fundamentally undermine their human rights.
In a joint statement with the Jesuit Refugee Service, European Network on Statelessness and other organisations, we highlight the potential impact of the proposals. It has a particular focus on their implications for stateless people and families in the UK, and ensuring that everyone can access the support they need to live safely and with dignity. We write jointly as organisations providing legal advice and support to stateless people and people refused asylum facing destitution, and as people with direct experience of statelessness and destitution.