Former asylum seekers from new European Union states have lost alternative accommodation after they mistakenly acted on unofficial legal advice and refused to leave their homes.
The five families, who cannot be named, were due to move from National Asylum Support Service-provided accommodation to specially organised private flats after 10 countries joined the EU on 1 May.

As a result of their countries' accession, the families lost their status as asylum seekers – along with, in theory, the support they received through NASS.

Before, the move the families received copies of a letter that advised those due to lose NASS support against leaving their homes voluntarily.

The letter was produced by the Newcastle Law Centre and was distributed to families that expected to lose their NASS support, had nowhere to go and faced possible eviction.

This was two days before the Home Office announced that it would continue to support some families for up to 14 days (HT 7 May, page 8).

The letter was written in such a way that the families could hand copies to any person who came to evict them. It said: "Our family will not leave our home voluntarily. We are asking the council to pay our rent when our NASS stops."

We did not put the law centre’s name on it. We are aware documents are copied and used out of context

Deborah Still, Newcastle Law Centre

According to a source, who also cannot be named, the five families appear to have somehow obtained the letter and mistakenly assumed that it applied to their circumstances, despite the fact that alternative accommodation had been arranged for them.

The source said: "They had move-on accommodation identified and organised and their bags were packed to leave. The letter scared them and they refused to leave."

The families have lost the alternative accommodation and are still in the NASS homes, as their cases are being reviewed.

Newcastle Law Centre, which says it was not aware anybody had lost accommodation, did not put its logo or any contact details on the letter because it was aware it could be misused.