Audio: Expert panel event on asylum support rates in the cost of living crisis

On 20 June 2023, as part of Refugee Week 2023, the 36 Group hosted an expert panel of human rights lawyers and NGO professionals working in the area of asylum support law at Gray’s Inn, London, on the topic of ‘Asylum support in the cost of living crisis: rates, entitlement, children & recent developments‘.

With Britain’s inflation levels set to be the highest in the G20, we asked whther the current support rates for destitute asylum seekers sufficient to meet their everyday living needs? 

• How have rates evolved under legal challenge and inflation?
• What are some of the barriers to establishing and maintaining entitlement to asylum support? 
• How will the Illegal Migration Bill change entitlement? What will be the impacts for vulnerable children? 
• How can lawyers & NGO partners empower clients to resolve asylum support issues?

Audio:

Slides:

Updates:

There have been several significant developments since the panel event on 20 June 2023:

• On 17 July 2023, the Home Office raised the rates of asylum support under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 to £47.39 (self-catering rate); £9.58 (full-board rate);

• The Illegal Migration Act 2023 received Royal Assent on 20 July 2023;
• On 21 July 2023, the High Court gave judgment in R (HA & others) v SSHD [2023] EWHC 1876 (Admin), holding, among other things, that additional payments (currently £3/£5) to pregnant women and children under 3 could not be provided ‘in-kind‘ via hotels and should be provided in cash. Implementation of these cash payments for eligible persons accommodated hotels has been slow and further developments are expected as part of a wider ongoing review of section 95 support rates.

RELATED: Asylum support rate increased after Home Secretary’s unlawful failings

Speakers:

Ben Amunwa, The 36 Group

Barrister, ranked Band 4 for Public & Administrative law by Chambers and Partners, involved in strategic & systemic litigation and policy challenges in asylum support, NRPF, equalities, detention, trafficking and education disputes.

Marie-Anne Fishwick, Asylum Support Appeals Project (ASAP)

Policy and Research Manager at ASAP, with over 15 years of experience in asylum support law, across training, research and advocacy, both in the Asylum Support Tribunal and on policy.

Kama Petruczenko, the Refugee Council

Senior Policy Analyst for Children and Young People at the Refugee Council with over 15 years of experience in a range of roles in the human rights sector.

Unkha Banda, Deighton Pierce Glynn (DPG)

Solicitor at DPG, a leading civil liberties firm in London and Bristol working in migrant rights and social welfare law. Her varied caseload includes urgent asylum support challenges, in addition to detention, trafficking & immigration matters.