NICRAS Report – Living in Limbo: The Life of Refused Asylum Seekers in Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Community of Refugees and Asylum Seekers (NICRAS) launched a report last week which looks at the experiences of refused asylum-seekers in Northern Ireland. Issues raised by those interviewed included homelessness, barriers to accessing support and a deteriorating quality of life and health. Of those surveyed, 21% had been homeless for 24 months or more, and 39% were, at the time of the survey, living with friends or rough sleeping. It concluded that the scale of the mistreatment represents a violation of human rights.

To address the lack of accommodation, NICRAS has called on both the Northern Ireland Executive and UK Government to address gaps in services and guarantee housing provision on an ‘interim’ basis. They have also called on the government to ensure that after a negative decision is administered, section 95 support is continued on an ‘interim basis’ until the Home Office has delivered its decision in respect to an individual’s Section 4/ Section 95A application. You can read the report here.