Agenda item

(To receive a report from Semantha Neal, Assistant Director Prevention and Early Intervention, which provides the Committee with an overview of refugee schemes and asylum dispersal, the national position and the response by Lincolnshire organisations  to national policy decisions)

Consideration was given to a joint report from Semantha Neal, Assistant Director – Prevention and Early Intervention and Lauren Grosvenor, Programme Manager Public Health, which provided the Committee with an overview of refugee schemes and asylum dispersal, the national position and the response by Lincolnshire organisations to national policy decisions.

With reference to the report, the distinction between refugees and asylum seekers and their rights and responsibilities was emphasised. The Assistant Director – Prevention and Early Intervention also referred Members to the update on the Ukraine Crisis Resettlement Scheme, as detailed in the report.

Members were assured that an effective and active countywide partnership was in place with clear expectations which aided in the support of refugees and asylum seekers in Lincolnshire.

Consideration was given to the report and during the discussion the following points were noted:

·       Funding to support with the Homes for Ukraine scheme had provided the opportunity to recruit staff to support in meeting the increase in workload which included a permanent role within the Public Health team with a focus on monitoring work to support re-settlement schemes in a broader sense. However, very little funding was in place to support asylum dispersal;

·       Details on the allocation of recently announced new funding from the Government to aid with homelessness support and new housing options for Ukranian guests (and anyone else at risk of homelessness) had not yet been released but were expected in the coming months. The Committee acknowledged the difficulties in long term planning to maximise the funding potential given the lack of detail;

·       A homes scheme which sought nominations for accommodation to Afghan refugees had not been proposed, rather the offer of independent accommodation was sought from local Housing Authorities. All Housing Authorities (in Lincolnshire, the District Councils) had been urged by the government to identify suitable housing where refugee families could settle;

·       Many Ukrainian refugee families were now seeking or had already found independent accommodation;

·       The Council was in receipt of grant funding for education provision for Afghan schemes;

·       A need for more timely communication between Serco and local authorities in the coordination of services for new arrivals to hotels had been acknowledged by Robert Jenrick, MP and work had been carried out to address issues raised which would enable more efficient communication in future;

·       The Committee was reassured that once local authorities were notified of plans for new arrivals to hotels, rigorous assurance checks were carried out to ensure the safety of all those involved and to ensure that appropriate food and accommodation was provided;

·       Around 800 Ukrainian families were housed in Lincolnshire in around 360 homes via the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. A survey had been launched to identify the barriers to employment for Ukrainian Refugees. Once the results had been analysed, the Council would work with the Department of Work and Pensions to identify ways of overcoming those barriers to employment;

·       Asylum Contingency hotels often placed individuals from a number of different nationalities, with one hotel recently housing individuals from 11 different countries;

·       The Government were looking for available housing with the aim of moving asylum seekers out of hotels and into alternative suitable accommodation.  It was clarified identifying the locations of asylum contingency hotels was not the responsibility of the Council, at which it had no control over; and

·       The Committee expressed disappointment that individuals were not permitted to work whilst seeking asylum, which would likely benefit the mental wellbeing of many individuals as well as benefiting the County. The benefits of working in partnership with other organisations across the East Midlands to establish support for asylum seekers was highlighted, for example having set up volunteer opportunities for individuals which provided much needed social interaction.

RESOLVED:

1.      That the report be endorsed, and satisfaction be given to the developments of resettlement schemes and asylum dispersal in Lincolnshire.

2.      That assurance be given to the robust governance and operational arrangements in place to respond to requirements.

3.      That feedback and comments from the debate be taken into consideration by the relevant officers.