Homeless people could avoid life-saving services, if there’s a risk of deportation
Tendayi
Bloom, The Conversation, March 7, 2018
As the UK
was hit by snow and freezing temperatures last week, more beds in shelters were
made available, and people in England and Wales were advised to use the StreetLink app and helpline to report
rough sleepers. The project sets out to ensure that no one in a wealthy country dies of
cold because they have nowhere appropriate to sleep.
was hit by snow and freezing temperatures last week, more beds in shelters were
made available, and people in England and Wales were advised to use the StreetLink app and helpline to report
rough sleepers. The project sets out to ensure that no one in a wealthy country dies of
cold because they have nowhere appropriate to sleep.
 |
| Elena Rostunova / Shutterstock. |
But this
is overshadowed by reports
of Home Office immigration, compliance and enforcement (ICE) teams seeking out
rough sleepers without a recognised claim to be in the UK for detention and
deportation, alongside homelessness charity outreach teams. This raises
important issues about the
relationship between border policies and the treatment of people who
are already in the UK, and about access to basic human rights.
is overshadowed by reports
of Home Office immigration, compliance and enforcement (ICE) teams seeking out
rough sleepers without a recognised claim to be in the UK for detention and
deportation, alongside homelessness charity outreach teams. This raises
important issues about the
relationship between border policies and the treatment of people who
are already in the UK, and about access to basic human rights.
A long
history
history
This
story starts back in 2015, when the House of Commons heard about
Operation Adoze – a pilot scheme by the Home Office to deport non-UK citizens
from the European Economic Area (EEA) sleeping rough in London. Guidance notes
clarifying the
regulations on the administrative removal of non-UK-EEA-citizens drew
concern from homelessness
advocates and lawyers, for identifying rough sleeping as an “abuse”
(in May 2016) and later a “misuse”
(in February 2017) of the EU’s right to free movement.
story starts back in 2015, when the House of Commons heard about
Operation Adoze – a pilot scheme by the Home Office to deport non-UK citizens
from the European Economic Area (EEA) sleeping rough in London. Guidance notes
clarifying the
regulations on the administrative removal of non-UK-EEA-citizens drew
concern from homelessness
advocates and lawyers, for identifying rough sleeping as an “abuse”
(in May 2016) and later a “misuse”
(in February 2017) of the EU’s right to free movement.
Throughout
2016, a round-up of rough sleepers in London is reported
to have taken place with the cooperation of outreach teams from
homelessness charities, which allegedly
passed information about non-UK-citizens who were sleeping rough to
the Home Office, leading to detentions and deportations. During this time,
charities’ data were also reportedly
being used for Home Office
mapping. Similar stories have emerged as far afield as Bristol,
Brighton
and Cardiff.
2016, a round-up of rough sleepers in London is reported
to have taken place with the cooperation of outreach teams from
homelessness charities, which allegedly
passed information about non-UK-citizens who were sleeping rough to
the Home Office, leading to detentions and deportations. During this time,
charities’ data were also reportedly
being used for Home Office
mapping. Similar stories have emerged as far afield as Bristol,
Brighton
and Cardiff.
Finally,
in December 2017, the High Court
ruled that the round up and deportation of non-UK-EEA-citizen rough
sleepers was unlawful, as rough sleeping was not an abuse or misuse of EU free
movement. But this story is not only about EU free movement rights. It is about
the relationship between the right to life-saving shelter, and migration
enforcement.
in December 2017, the High Court
ruled that the round up and deportation of non-UK-EEA-citizen rough
sleepers was unlawful, as rough sleeping was not an abuse or misuse of EU free
movement. But this story is not only about EU free movement rights. It is about
the relationship between the right to life-saving shelter, and migration
enforcement.
Desperate
and destitute
and destitute
The snowfall
which recently covered parts of the UK served up a stark reminder that access
to adequate housing is a basic human
right, which can save lives. Now, more than ever, it is clear that
access to adequate housing must be decoupled from migration enforcement, to
move away from an environment in which destitution, administrative detention
and deportation are contributing to a hostile environment for non-UK-citizens,
without legal process.
which recently covered parts of the UK served up a stark reminder that access
to adequate housing is a basic human
right, which can save lives. Now, more than ever, it is clear that
access to adequate housing must be decoupled from migration enforcement, to
move away from an environment in which destitution, administrative detention
and deportation are contributing to a hostile environment for non-UK-citizens,
without legal process.
For
example, hunger
strikers in Yarl’s Wood detention centre were recently
informed by the Home Office that they risk being deported
sooner if they continued to protest.
example, hunger
strikers in Yarl’s Wood detention centre were recently
informed by the Home Office that they risk being deported
sooner if they continued to protest.
 |
|
A
detainee held at Yarl’s Wood. Pete Maclaine / Shutterstock.com |
Some
might argue that if Home Office officials can assess individuals’ cases, those
with a genuine claim to remain in the country will be fine; only the nefarious
will be removed. But even if things did work this way, it would raise two
problems. It implies that the right to life is dependent on a person’s
paperwork, and not their humanity. And it doesn’t make provision for those who
are scared and unwilling to risk seeking help.
What’s
more, as a result of drawn-out
and unfair asylum decisions (a third are reversed
if they get to appeal), administrative
issues and inappropriate
housing, migrants can be left
destitute through their engagement with the Home Office.
Ill-considered migration control measures could prevent the most vulnerable
from seeking help, and undermine the
work of organisations that have been serving rough sleepers for
decades. It has been suggested that cooperating with the Home Office undermines
the integrity of those homelessness organisations, which try to give
their service users a voice and a platform to challenge government policies.
more, as a result of drawn-out
and unfair asylum decisions (a third are reversed
if they get to appeal), administrative
issues and inappropriate
housing, migrants can be left
destitute through their engagement with the Home Office.
Ill-considered migration control measures could prevent the most vulnerable
from seeking help, and undermine the
work of organisations that have been serving rough sleepers for
decades. It has been suggested that cooperating with the Home Office undermines
the integrity of those homelessness organisations, which try to give
their service users a voice and a platform to challenge government policies.
Out of
sight, out of mind?
sight, out of mind?
This is
all part of the changing reality of how homeless people of all nationalities
are treated across the UK. Greater numbers of people are becoming
homeless, while some police forces and local authorities are taking tough
stances against people begging and sleeping rough, purporting to
crack down on the “fake homeless” and arguing that homelessness
is a choice, without acknowledging how “choices” are affected by the
range of options on offer.
all part of the changing reality of how homeless people of all nationalities
are treated across the UK. Greater numbers of people are becoming
homeless, while some police forces and local authorities are taking tough
stances against people begging and sleeping rough, purporting to
crack down on the “fake homeless” and arguing that homelessness
is a choice, without acknowledging how “choices” are affected by the
range of options on offer.
Homelessness
charity Crisis has warned:
“If it is true that people are avoiding help from outreach teams for fear of
encountering the Home Office, then these people will become more vulnerable,
not less.”
charity Crisis has warned:
“If it is true that people are avoiding help from outreach teams for fear of
encountering the Home Office, then these people will become more vulnerable,
not less.”
In this
hostile climate, it’s important to ask national and local charities and
shelters for clarity on their policies relating to immigrant rough sleepers and
to raise wider questions about the domain of migration enforcement.
Organisations like Red Cross
and Praxis offer specialist
services for migrants, along with many others. Information about them can be
found online.
hostile climate, it’s important to ask national and local charities and
shelters for clarity on their policies relating to immigrant rough sleepers and
to raise wider questions about the domain of migration enforcement.
Organisations like Red Cross
and Praxis offer specialist
services for migrants, along with many others. Information about them can be
found online.
It’s also
important to ask a rough sleeper what sort of support they’d find helpful. This
might involve helping them call a shelter, letting them know about local
specialist support, or buying some food, gloves or a hot drink.
The truth is, in the UK today, there are pitifully few options for destitute
non-UK-citizens – some of whom have been cut off from both work and welfare,
and left with no alternative. Looking beyond immediate measures, it’s crucial
to decouple shelter and other basic goods from migration control, and to
critique policies that increase destitution – irrespective of citizenship.
important to ask a rough sleeper what sort of support they’d find helpful. This
might involve helping them call a shelter, letting them know about local
specialist support, or buying some food, gloves or a hot drink.
The truth is, in the UK today, there are pitifully few options for destitute
non-UK-citizens – some of whom have been cut off from both work and welfare,
and left with no alternative. Looking beyond immediate measures, it’s crucial
to decouple shelter and other basic goods from migration control, and to
critique policies that increase destitution – irrespective of citizenship.
There’s
also a discomforting possibility that the appeal of Streetlink’s simple app
comes from a twin desire to save homeless people, and to hide them from view.
Seeing someone sleeping in the snow raises uncomfortable questions about
British society today which must be acknowledged – then addressed head-on. It’s
not enough to send a text and continue walking. The UK is a democracy. Its
policies rely on the taxes and mandate of the electorate. If enough people make
it clear that these injustices cannot continue, the government will put a stop
to them.
also a discomforting possibility that the appeal of Streetlink’s simple app
comes from a twin desire to save homeless people, and to hide them from view.
Seeing someone sleeping in the snow raises uncomfortable questions about
British society today which must be acknowledged – then addressed head-on. It’s
not enough to send a text and continue walking. The UK is a democracy. Its
policies rely on the taxes and mandate of the electorate. If enough people make
it clear that these injustices cannot continue, the government will put a stop
to them.
