London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 03, 2025

Non-British rough sleepers ‘targeted for deportation’ by Home Office support scheme

Non-British rough sleepers ‘targeted for deportation’ by Home Office support scheme

Charities and councils passing on the personal data of homeless people could lead to them being forcibly removed from the UK

The personal data of dozens of non-British rough sleepers has been shared with the Home Office under a controversial programme that could lead to their deportation.

Councils and homelessness charities shared the sensitive details of homeless people 85 times with the Home Office under a scheme critics describe as an attempt to embroil organisations in the government’s “hostile environment” policy.

The Home Office will not reveal how many of the people referred to its Rough Sleeping Support Service (RSSS) since October 2020 have been forcibly removed from the UK.

According to documents obtained by Liberty Investigates and the Observer, the referrals were made by 11 councils including Gloucester and Leeds, a housing provider called Keystage Housing, and three charities, one of which has since withdrawn from the scheme saying it wanted to avoid putting rough sleepers at risk.

The RSSS aims to identify within 24 hours whether an undocumented rough sleeper has an immigration status that allows them to access public funds such as housing support.

Anyone found to have no lawful basis to remain in the UK could ultimately face removal, either voluntarily or forcibly.

James Tullett, chief executive of charity Ramfel, which supports destitute migrants and does not use the RSSS, said the Home Office’s failure to remove the risk of deportation to users has made it untrustworthy and a “waste of taxpayers’ money”.

The scheme was trialled by the Home Office from 2018 until the Observer revealed it as part of a covert strategy to deport rough sleepers after acquiring personal data without their consent.

After a legal challenge by the Public Interest Law Centre, it was relaunched in September 2020 with a new requirement to obtain rough sleepers’ “fully informed consent”.

However, experts questioned whether fully informed consent was possible, given the potential vulnerabilities of rough sleepers, possible language barriers and a power imbalance between them and the organisations contracted to help them.

Josephine Whitaker-Yilmaz of migrant charity Praxis, which has not used the service, said: “Our main concern is that sharing our clients’ data with the Home Office through the RSSS in its current form puts them at increased risk of detention and deportation, and this risk outweighs any benefit that the service may have.”

A freedom of information request prompted councils and charities to reveal that 49 of the rough sleepers referred had not been deported, yet what happened to the remaining 36 people remains unknown.

Keystage Housing, Luton council’s homelessness partner, made the most referrals, 28, with a spokesperson saying there was “no instances of removal or deportation from the UK”.

The number of rough sleepers using the RSSS appears to have fallen short of expectations within the Home Office, which is conducting a review into the scheme that is expected to be published this month.

In a letter dated 19 November 2021 inviting stakeholders to feed back, officials admit that “participation in the [service] has been low”.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We remain committed to the RSSS to help get people off the streets, which has been an open and transparent service throughout.

“The public expects those with no right to be here and who make no effort to legalise their status to be removed – either voluntarily or enforced.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×