1,400 Refugee families in Glasgow To Be Made Homeless Within Weeks After Mass Asylum Decisions by Home Office
12 October 2023
Charities are deeply concerned over the impending homelessness crisis in Glasgow faced by approximately 1,400 individuals expected to be granted asylum by the end of this year. We believe this is the same picture in towns and cities with significant asylum populations across the rest of the UK.

Positive Action in Housing, which supports over 3,000 refugee and migrant families annually, is urging immediate action to prevent vulnerable families and individuals from becoming destitute.
The good news is that after so many years of being forbidden to work and being trapped in an oppressive asylum system with no decision in sight, for 1,400 people, this is a major step forward in being able to rebuild, follow their hopes and dreams, and finally move forward in their lives.
We are deeply concerned by the amount of people seeking protection who could be at risk of homelessness this winter. We are seeing people being granted refugee status and then being given as little as seven days to find accommodation. We have an ongoing housing crisis and a cost-of-living crisis, with many people placed in insecure housing, in hotels, guest houses and temporary furnished accommodation. It would be difficult for anyone to find new housing in a week. It also takes 56 days just to access Universal Credit, the first step towards resettlement. For someone who has just been granted status this is an impossible situation.
Accelerated claims are expected to apply to people from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Libya, Syria and Yemen, who are more likely to get a positive decision. Successful applicants will need help to find housing, but there is already a shortfall of around 1,600 properties in the city. Positive Action in Housing wants to see a ‘rent a room’ scheme to encourage people to take in individuals or families.
The UK Government intends to speed up the processing of asylum claims to deal with a backlog, but senior council officials have warned it could lead to almost 1,400 homeless applications this year. No government funding has been provided to deal with the “unprecedented” rise — which it has been estimated could cost around £50m. Council chief executive Annemarie O’Donnell said decisions that “in ordinary times would be unpalatable” might be needed to avoid an increase in rough sleeping.
The council’s property portfolio is being assessed in an effort to find solutions, and empty care homes will be considered.
Cllr Allan Casey, SNP, the homelessness convener, has said there are also “ongoing conversations” around “prefabricated type buildings” where the council could “move at pace” to create extra accommodation.
A council lawyer told an emergency meeting that legal action against the Home Office “remains a possibility”. He said if senior officials’ instructions were to “seek counsel’s opinion that’s what we’ll be doing and we would report back about the prospects of any potential action” .
He added: “In theory, there is a potential to take legal action against the Home Office but whether that’s a practical matter is really going to depend on the facts and circumstances.”
The council is also at risk of legal challenge as there are “strict duties under homeless legislation and unsuitable accommodation orders”. “There’s no desire not to fulfil our duties, it’s not for want of trying,” the lawyer said.
Council leader Susan Aitken said the council was “very likely” to be “pushed into a position where we breach our statutory duties by decisions and actions by someone else (the Home Office)”.
We need long-term solutions. To minimise wholesale destitution on the streets of Glasgow, we would urge the Scottish Government to immediately implement a Scotland-wide 'rent-a-room scheme,' similar to the one operating in England, to encourage more people to rent out space in their homes or properties. This provides £7,500 a year tax-free to owners and tenants.
Many Scots would welcome extra tax-free income to pay towards household costs while opening their doors to someone in need. The refugee individual or family can then claim universal credit, which is paid by the UK government until they find work. People will also need help to find work, and that would benefit the whole country in terms of increasing the tax base."
In January 2024, Room for Refugees will be testing a similar 'rent a room' scheme for over 3,000 volunteer hosts in Glasgow, Greater Glasgow, Edinburgh, and elsewhere in Scotland. Otherwise, in the absence of innovation and new ideas, we are facing a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions this winter.
A Home Office spokesperson said:
“To minimise the risk of homelessness, we encourage individuals to make their onward plans as soon as possible after receiving their decision, whether that is leaving the UK following a refusal, or taking steps to integrate in the UK following a grant.
"We offer ample support once claims have been granted through Migrant Help, access to the labour market and advice on applying for Universal Credit.”
What onward plans? Without housing where do people go?
The Scottish government should also consider allocating funding to social housing providers to develop and build 'tiny homes.' These cost less than a traditional house, occupy less space, and are better for the environment.
For more information please email us.
See also: Glasgow Live