A long way back

Over the last few weeks most people will have seen the terrible pictures of Kosovar refugees forced from their homes. Here at the Refugee Council, we have been inundated with calls from the public, appalled by what they have seen and keen to offer their help. Whilst there is general agreement that wherever possible the refugees should be assisted in the region and helped to return home when it is safe to do so, the UK government is working on contingency plans to accept several thousand refugees who need medical assistance, are especially vulnerable or who could be reunited with their families already in the UK. The government has not put a definite figure on the total number that might be expected and whilst at present the timescale is not clear it is unlikely it would be immediate. However, the situation is changing hour by hour so we need to press ahead with preparations.

The government sees any possible protection programme as a temporary measure and would therefore offer temporary protection to the refugees accepted as a part of this programme. This may mean that these people will have entitlements to benefits and housing. However the government has still to confirm this.

The Home Office has asked the Refugee Council to co-ordinate a steering group of organisations including Refugee Action, the Red Cross, Refugee Housing Association, the Scottish Refugee Council and other regional refugee councils to support any humanitarian evacuation of Kosovar refugees to the UK. Staff from different agencies have already been seconded to form a small team. The first priority is to locate approximately 30 suitable reception centres with approximately 50 - 70 bed spaces. It is expected that people would remain in these centres for a short time and then move into other accommodation.

In a circular issued by the Home Office last week, local authorities and RSLs were asked to locate housing for asylum seekers. We are therefore currently working with the Home Office, local authority associations, the Housing Corporation and the National Housing Federation to ensure that a coordinated approach is taken.

Until the government clarifies the status that any refugees would be given it is impossible to specify the precise roles of local authorities and RSLs. However both will have a vital role to play in working with us to accommodate refugees if the need arises. At this stage we would like local authorities and RSLs to begin to give some thought to how they may be able to help, for example letting us know about:

• Provision of move-on accommodation
  
• Other resources dependent on the scale of arrivals
  
• Further secondments and volunteers.

At this stage we are making contingency plans, and we are well aware of the organisational and resource demands that all organisations are currently facing. Whilst we do not wish to cry wolf we want to ensure that should this accommodation be required we will be in a position to respond quickly and effectively to arrivals.

In terms of UK asylum policy this crisis comes at an extremely complicated time both for central and local government and for other housing providers. The Immigration and Asylum Bill, currently at the committee stage, will introduce a new support system for all asylum seekers. One of the main aims of this bill is to remove asylum seekers from mainstream provision and accommodate them outside of London in cluster areas. The Home Office has recently put out a pre-tender document asking for accommodation providers to register interest in the new support system which will start in April 2000.

At the same time, the Local Government Association has been asked by the Home Office to develop interim arrangements to try and alleviate some of the pressures on local authorities in London and Kent. This will involve local authorities in different parts of the country coming together in consortia and accepting responsibility for the provision of support including housing to asylum seekers. Meanwhile individual local authorities in London and Kent continue to struggle to find accommodation for the individual asylum seekers who arrive. These added complications make us even more conscious of the need for a co-ordinated approach and we will be working to ensure this is achieved.

To discuss the possible provision of accommodation please contact Bob Thompson on 0171 820 3144.