Refugees Are Being Made Homeless in Derby. How Can We Respond?

The number of homeless refugees in Derby is rising at an alarming rate, due to a housing crisis, and an impossibly short ‘move on’ period for new refugees. Upbeat Communities and its supporters must be part of the response. Einir Cooper, Head of Delivery, shares how.

“I used to jump for joy when I heard someone had received permission to stay in the UK,” says Einir. “Now my heart sinks as I realise the near-impossible challenges they will face.”

Asylum seekers wait weeks, months, or even years to receive a decision on their asylum application. Will the UK be the safe home they need, after having fled war or extreme persecution?

The wait is almost unbearable. Day after day of not knowing, day after day of putting one foot in front of the other, holding out hope. Until one day, good news! Your asylum application has been successful! You can stay and rebuild your life here.

This moment has been arriving for many asylum seekers in the UK, as the Home Office has been working quickly through its backlog of asylum cases. It is the moment that means someone is officially a refugee, and that that their case has been believed - they can now move on with their lives, find work and somewhere to live and call home.

But something that should be so happy is now clouded with fear and uncertainty. Newly-granted refugees used to have 28 days to leave their dispersal accommodation, open a bank account, find somewhere to live, and find a job. Now, due to recent changes in the Home Office’s policy, they have just 7 days.

“The consequences of this change have been absolutely catastrophic,” Head of Delivery, Einir, explains. “Upbeat Communities and our partners across Derby are seeing more and more people becoming homeless because they simply have nowhere to go. Seven days is not enough time to find somewhere to live — especially in the rental crisis in the UK currently.”

Upbeat has supported many new refugees by teaching free English classes, but English remains most peoples’ second or third language, making the process even harder. Many people don’t have connections nearby who could help them out with a place to stay, either.

“One young man received his permission to stay a few weeks ago. He came to Upbeat one week looking a little downcast.” Einir says. “One of our volunteers, who’d been getting to know him at our Integration Hub, asked him what was wrong.”

He replied saying he hadn’t slept well as he had been sleeping in the park for the past 3 nights, having been forced to leave his accommodation.

Our volunteer promptly filled out a referral form for our hosting scheme, Host Derby, and the young man was taken in by a family.

Wonderfully, he is now renting his own room elsewhere, and is looking for work.

All he needed was a bit of time, and a safe place to stay, while he processed his news and got everything sorted. His energy and confidence has returned, and he now has a wonderful friendship with his host family.

This is the difference Host Derby can make.”

At Upbeat Communities, we are calling on those in Derby and the Derbyshire area with a spare bedroom to consider becoming a host with Host Derby.

Founded in response to an increase in refugees and asylum seekers at risk of destitution, Host Derby has been running since 2017 and has provided 811 nights of safe accommodation so far.

But this project has never been more vital than it is right now.

“The current climate makes life virtually impossible for new refugees. We want to be part of the response that gets refugees off the streets, particularly this autumn and winter as the weather gets colder.”

Upbeat spoke to Gillian, a host with Host Derby, who shared her experiences of hosting. Watch the video below:

Got questions? Come along to our Hosting Information Evening on Tuesday 21st November. There is no commitment at this stage; just come with your questions, and hear some real stories from real hosts. Email hosting@upbeatcommunities.org to register your interest today.

If you’re not in a position to host, but you know someone who is, please share this opportunity with them, or direct them to www.upbeatcommunities.org/hosting for more information.