London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 24, 2025

High court ruling leaves refused asylum seekers at risk of homelessness

High court ruling leaves refused asylum seekers at risk of homelessness

Judge quashes earlier decision by tribunal that accommodation should be provided until all Covid restrictions are lifted
A high court judge has quashed a ruling that said refused asylum seekers who are destitute must be given accommodation during the pandemic until all Covid restrictions are lifted.

At least 1,000 asylum seekers currently in accommodation are thought to be affected by Tuesday’s decision and are now at risk of being made street homeless.

In April, the asylum support tribunal concluded that because of the increased Covid risk, destitute refused asylum seekers should not be forced on to the streets or into “sofa surfing”. The Home Office was ordered to continue accommodating this group of asylum seekers until step 4 of the roadmap was reached.

In an unusual move, the Home Office went to the high court and asked for permission to judicially review the tribunal’s decision.

Mr Justice Chamberlain granted that permission and quashed the tribunal’s decision to protect the group. He said the Home Office would not be breaching human rights rules if accommodation was not provided to them.

However, the Home Office will not be able to start evicting those affected immediately as the judge is sending the case back to the immigration tribunal to be reconsidered.

Despite the success of the case brought by the home secretary, Priti Patel, the judge did criticise some elements. There have been a series of high court cases over the last few months relating to this issue and the home secretary’s powers to evict or not evict some asylum seekers have been scrutinised. In an earlier case, counsel for Patel was unable to give an explanation about what powers she was using.

Government lawyers provided an explanation in a letter last week, stating: “This action has been conceptualised as the exercise of prerogative power.” The judge said he believed the home secretary had reached this view recently rather than at the time when she took the decisions about whether or not to provide accommodation to refused asylum seekers during the pandemic. He said the explanation by the government lawyers was “infelicitously drafted”.

Sasha Rozansky of Deighton Pierce Glynn solicitors, representing the asylum seeker who secured the earlier tribunal ruling, urged the home secretary to disclose all of the evidence supporting the assessments she has made about the public health risks of making migrants homeless during the pandemic, particularly with regard to minority ethnic communities and disabled people, and the advice about this she received from Public Health England.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We welcome the judge’s decision. Throughout the pandemic, large numbers of failed asylum seekers have had accommodation and financial assistance provided at the expense of the taxpayer. It is right that as restrictions ease they return home if they are able to, rather than demand accommodation at public expense.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
×