The No Accommodation Network (NACCOM) is appealling to its members and supporters to take some practical action and call the Home Office to stop evicting asylum seekers from their current accommodation.
NACCOM, a national network which works to prevent destitution amongst people seeking asylum, refugees and other migrants is concerned plans by the Home Office to resume evictions from asylum accommodation will result in people seeking sanctuary facing street homelessness, and also impact on organisations which support them.
NACCOM has launched a #StopAsylumEviction campaign and they are seeking help from network members and supporters.
This campaign is launched as part of World Homeless Week (4th – 11th October 2020), and to mark 21 days (the eviction ‘notice period’ for those given a negative decision) since the Home Office announced its move to restart evictions, we want to send a message to the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, asking her to #StopAsylumEvictions now.
What groups and or individuals can do:
NACCOM suggested some of the steps you can do below.
Steps to take:
Step One: Make a paper house! Create a simple paper house (see our short films below) using A4 paper, or use your own design.
Step Two: Write your message inside.
Here are some suggested messages, but feel free to write your own.
1, Dear Home Secretary, everyone should have a safe place to stay during the Covid-19 pandemic. Please #StopAsylumEvictions now!
2, Dear Home Secretary, evicting people into street homelessness during a deadly pandemic is reckless and inhumane. Please #StopAsylumEvictions now!
3, Dear Home Secretary, having a safe place to stay during the Covid-19 crisis is essential if we are to protect ourselves and others. Please #StopAsylumEvictions now!
Step Three: Take a photo of your house and message. If your message is not clearly visible, please take a separate picture of this.
Step Four: Post your photo/s and message on social media and/or email them to NACCOM.
When posting your photo/s to social media, please repeat your written message using the hashtag #StopAsylumEvictions, and tag in;
Twitter:
- @ukhomeoffice
- @pritipatel
- @NACCOMnetwork
Facebook:
- @ukhomeofficegov
- @pritipatelmp
- @naccomnetwork
Instagram:
- @ukhomeoffice
- @pritipatel
If you’re unable to post to social media, or would rather email your photos to NACCOM, please send them to [email protected] and indicate whether or not we can share your name/organisation when sharing your photos on our social media channels.
Step 5: Post to the Home Secretary. Post your letter to the Home Secretary at:
For the attention of the Home Secretary
Rt Hon Priti Patel
Home Office
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
We also intend to create an image montage of all the houses/messages which will then be sent to the Home Secretary alongside a written letter from NACCOM.
➡️ Other action you can take
In addition, below are some template resources, produced in partnership with Asylum Matters, that we encourage you to use and adapt to make as relevant as possible, whilst maintaining the strongest possible message to the Home Secretary: the Home Office must immediately halt their plans to resume evictions for people who have been refused asylum.
- Use this template letter to MPs which has been written for NACCOM members and groups engaged in frontline destitution services;
- Use this template letter to MPs for groups who aren’t engaged in frontline service provision;
- Use this template letter to local authorities to ask your local council to speak up to oppose these plans;
- Use this template letter to MPs for individuals if you’re an individual wishing to contact your MP.
Longer term, alongside many others, we want to see significant changes to national policy to allow everyone to be protected from homelessness. But for now, the message is simple. No-one should be forced into homelessness, not least in the middle of a public health pandemic.
See here for our joint position statement with Asylum Matters published in June, which included a new fully funded duty for local authorities to provide accommodation to everyone at risk of homelessness, regardless of immigration status, and an end to NRPF conditions for everyone, including those without leave to remain.
In partnership with others across the refugee/migrant and homelessness sectors, we are also working to secure parliamentary scrutiny of the decision and are exploring different ways of making our voices heard as loudly as possible.