Refugee homelessness doubles in two years

Thousands of refugees in the UK are facing an increasing homelessness crisis, according to Naccom, the national charity of 140 frontline refugee and migrant organisations.

The charity’s annual briefing found that government policy is causing an “entrenched migrant homelessness crisis”.

Additionally, its data:

underscores the profound trauma and injustice endured by people in a punitive, failing system who are rendered homeless and without adequate means of support due to their immigration status.

Refugee homelessness, a growing problem

Over the last two years, the number of refugees experiencing homelessness has more than doubled. Naccom members accommodated 4,434 refugees and migrants in 2024-25, which is the largest number on record. Of these, 2,008 were refugees — a 106% increase on the previous year.

In total, 829 people were sleeping rough at the time they accessed services. This is higher than the previous year’s figure of 378.

An additional 3,450 refugees and migrants experienced homelessness, but Naccom was unable to accommodate them. This figure is also likely to be a huge underestimate, due to the number of people who never seek help. 

The charity blames the increase on “constant, reactive policy changes” and the introduction of eVisas, which some refugees are unable to activate. This means they cannot access important services and support. 

Importantly, the number of people accommodated by charities immediately after leaving Home Office
accommodation or support rose to 944. This represents a 150% increase since 2022-23.

Move on period

The report also highlights the move-on period for refugees. This is the time allocated for them to find safe and secure housing after the Home Office makes a decision on their claim and asks them to leave its accommodation.

The Home Office temporarily extended it from 28 to 56 days between December 2024 and September 2025 as part of a pilot. However, it ended in September. This means the 28-day period now applies again.

According to the Guardian, more vulnerable groups, including disabled, elderly and sick people, are also set to have their move-on period reduced to 28 days by the end of December.

The report states:

While extending the move-on period is not the only thing needed to improve positive move-on experiences from Home Office accommodation, the pilot has been shown to decrease rates of rough sleeping and ensure refugees are able to move on with their lives and integrate into their communities.

No recourse to public funds

The data in the report also shows that member organisations accommodated 1,509 people with restricted eligibility or No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) in 2024/2025.

It adds:

Migrants who are denied access to some or all public funds – such as homelessness assistance, social housing, and mainstream benefits – are particularly vulnerable to destitution and may face other structural barriers that prevent them from moving on from homelessness.

The survey shows that the most commonly supported group (912 people) were adults who have been refused asylum and are considered ‘appeal rights exhausted’ by the Home Office.

An increasing refusal rate, decreasing availability of legal aid, and errors in Home Office decision-making combine to create a risk of catastrophic legal injustice. People refused asylum after appeal often face extreme hardship, including destitution, homelessness and declining physical and mental health.

The report calls for reform of the legal aid system. A shocking 64% of member organisations reported being unable to meet the rise in demand for legal advice. In total, they provided legal advice to 5,875 people in 2024/2025.

The report says:

Ensuring that all people can obtain free, good-quality legal advice is a central part of any fair and functional asylum and immigration system. However, this is increasingly difficult due to the ongoing legal aid crisis. As the Government ramps up the pace of asylum decision-making, as well as enforcement, pressures on frontline services are growing increasingly unsustainable.

It also notes that visa fee increases, longer routes to settlement, complex immigration policies and increased refusals all create more traps for migrants to fall into destitution and homelessness.

The report concludes:

Decisive action to tackle the rise of the far right is urgently needed, and an end to hostile Government rhetoric against people in the asylum and immigration system. The resultant division and danger  across civil society puts us all at risk, and distracts from the real need for social and economic renewal across all communities in the UK.

Feature image via Jim Osley/ Wikimedia Commons