In a recent webinar hosted by Homeless Connect, in partnership with the Pan-UK Migrant Homelessness Frontline Network, two leading experts explored how migration, welfare policy, and homelessness intersect across the UK – with a particular focus on what the picture looks like here in Northern Ireland.

The session drew on findings from a recently published paper, Understanding Migrant Destitution in Northern Ireland, and featured presentations from Lucy Leon, Senior Researcher at Oxford University’s Centre on Migration Policy and Society (COMPAS), and Bethan Lant, Project Lead at Praxis Community Projects and lead for the Migrant Homelessness Frontline Network.

What Is ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ and Why Does It Matter?

A key cause of migrant destitution is the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) policy – a Home Office immigration condition that restricts access to welfare benefits and housing assistance, effectively excluding people from the safety net that most of us take for granted.

It is estimated that around 4 million people in the UK currently are subject to the NRPF criteria – a figure that has doubled since 2020. This includes not only those with irregular immigration status, but many people who are legally in the UK on a range of visas. When a sudden crisis hits – relationship breakdown, redundancy, illness, or eviction – many individuals impacted can face the prospect of destitution.

Northern Ireland: A Data Desert

The research is very concerning for Northern Ireland specifically, as there is a substantial data gap on the scale of migrant destitution – worse than that found in England, Scotland, or Wales.

When the research team requested data from Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care Trusts in 2023, only limited data was available. Three provided only partial data, and two could provide none at all. Without reliable data, statutory agencies can’t measure need, track support, or understand costs. The Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People called for urgent mapping of children affected by NRPF back in 2021 – yet the gap still remains. As Lucy Leon put it:

“The lack of data in Northern Ireland was really quite alarming. Despite calls from the Children’s Commissioner to focus on this, very little support has been put in place to address it.”

Key Challenges Facing Northern Ireland

The research identified several challenges that are either unique to or particularly pronounced in Northern Ireland:

• No statutory guidance: Unlike Scotland and Wales, Northern Ireland has no statutory guidance for Trusts on how to assess and support NRPF cases.
• No dedicated funding: Trusts are expected to fund support for vulnerable migrants themselves, with no dedicated resource from central government.
• Leadership vacuum: NRPF provision is largely being designed and led by frontline practitioners with little strategic direction from senior leadership.
• Inadequate subsistence support: When support is provided, rates are often below the level of asylum support – which is unlawful – with some people receiving only food bank vouchers.
• Siloed working: Cases are frequently bounced between teams before anyone agrees to take responsibility, creating a dehumanising experience for those seeking help.

What Needs to Change?

The research sets out five priority areas for improvement, with specific recommendations for Northern Ireland:

• Develop a strategy for tackling destitution and homelessness, drawing on Scotland’s Ending Destitution Together approach as a model.
• Establish clear statutory guidance for Trusts on assessing and supporting people with NRPF.
• Combine existing data sets across government departments to build a more complete picture of need.
• Ensure migrant destitution is embedded within wider strategies, including the forthcoming Northern Ireland homelessness strategy, child poverty plans, and rough sleeping targets.
• Make information and advice accessible: statutory agencies should clearly publish how people can access support, apply for a change of conditions, or request fee waivers.

Looking Ahead: Proposed Policy Changes Could Make Things Worse

Bethan Lant raised serious concerns about proposals currently being considered by the UK Government that could significantly extend the reach of NRPF. These include extending the standard pathway to settlement to 10 years, penalising people who access public funds by adding up to 10 years to their pathway and potentially introducing NRPF conditions for those with settled status or refugee status – groups who have historically had stronger entitlements.

If enacted, these changes would push more people away from seeking support, increase vulnerability to exploitation and trafficking, and create greater safeguarding risks for children and adults alike.

What Can the Sector Do?

Both speakers emphasised the critical role the voluntary and community sector plays in filling gaps left by statutory bodies. Practical steps organisations can take include:

• Advocate for NRPF to be included in Northern Ireland’s new homelessness strategy, currently in development.
• Collect and share data on the people you are supporting to help build the evidence base.
• Join the Pan-UK Migrant Homelessness Frontline Network, which is open to both statutory and voluntary sector staff and provides training, resources, and peer support.
• Challenge misinformation about migrants and welfare by sharing accurate information and the lived experiences of those affected.

Further Information

You can join the Pan-UK Migrant Homelessness Frontline Network here or sign up to their newsletter here. To find out more about Homeless Connect’s policy work on migrant homelessness, please get in touch with our team.

At its heart, this is about people – real people who came here seeking safety or a better life. Our role as a sector is to build a more compassionate and effective response.