A letter to Boris Johnson

NACCOM - of which Sanctus is a member - has organised a letter to the Prime Minister, which Sally has signed this on behalf of Sanctus.

It asks the Government to take urgent steps to ensure the health, safety and continued support of vulnerable migrants as the Coronavirus crisis escalates. The measures we are asking for will enable vulnerable migrants to:

• Social distance and self-isolate safely

• Access healthcare when needed

• Receive vital financial support 

In a letter dated March 26th, over 80 charities asked the Prime Minister to act on his commitment made at PMQs that;  “People seeking asylum, those whose asylum claims have been refused and all who have been prohibited from having access to public funds by Home Office rules “will certainly receive the Home Office funding that they need and deserve."

The full letter reads:

Dear Prime Minister,

RE: PMQ commitment for Home Office funding for those who are seeking asylum, have had their asylum claims refused or who are prohibited from accessing public funds

Following our letter dated 19th March with recommendations signed by over 80 organisations supporting people who are homeless and destitute because of their migration status, we write again to welcome your commitment at PMQs yesterday (25th March 2020) stating that;

People seeking asylum, those whose asylum claims have been refused and all who have been prohibited from having access to public funds by Home Office rules “will certainly receive the Home Office funding that they need and deserve”

It is now imperative that those who are homeless and destitute stemming from insecure immigration status, including those with No Recourse to Public Funds, as well as those seeking to access or who have been refused asylum are able to urgently access publicly funded accommodation and support.

This will not only help vulnerable homeless and destitute individuals to be safe and hence be able to comply with your instructions on safe social distancing and self-isolation, but it will also significantly lessen the risk of their exposure to the virus and therefore its onward transmission.

Many people who are homeless and destitute in the UK have underlying health conditions, such as respiratory issues, which make them particularly vulnerable to Covid-19. Contracting the virus will result in severe illnesses needing intensive care treatment, and for some it will result in death.

Therefore, your commitment to act must now be implemented without delay. Acting now will help prevent further pressure on the NHS, and it will also save lives.

NACCOM and our partners appreciate the tone and substance of your statement at PMQs. We stand ready to work together with your Government, the devolved Governments and Local Authority partners, to ensure that all those homeless and destitute with insecure immigration status can be accommodated in the following days and weeks.

In making sure our shared public health fight against Covid-19 encompasses all vulnerable groups, irrespective of immigration status, we can give ourselves the best chance to suppress and ultimately overcome this unprecedented global pandemic, here in the UK.

We look forward to hearing from you. Most of all, however, we want to work with you to urgently deliver on this commitment.