Homeless Migrants’ Needs: The Risks of Destitution

Presentation to European Research Conference, Suzanne Fitzpatrick,

16th September 2011

Destitute migrants in EU

EC study to examine the interaction between welfare regimes and housing systems in: Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and the UK

1. What is the impact of the welfare regime + housing system on the nature and causes of homelessness?

2. How effective are responses to homelessness, and what might Member States learn from each other?

Vignette on ‘single male migrant who loses casual work and has rent arrears ’ Varies between countries: major issue in UK, Netherlands and

Germany; less so in Sweden; declining issue in Portugal; not at all in Hungary

Legal status all important: CEE homeless migrants key concern - have little welfare protection, especially in Netherlands and UK; in Germany access to homeless accommodation (with residence permit); in Sweden access to social assistance (with residence permit)

Economic downturn has hit vulnerable migrants very hard; on margins of both labour market (informal economy) and housing markets (tenuous forms of accommodation)

Policy implications of EU study CEE migrants a growing concern, but also refused

asylum seekers and undocumented migrants Stark choice: ‘Get work or go home’; back to work

and reconnection schemes Reliance on charities/churches Complex legal and policy arrangements – some

countries/cities seem to cope better than others Priority should be given to preventing destitution

amongst vulnerable migrants; Consensus Conference; new EC study on ‘Mobility, Migration and Destitution’

Multiple exclusion homelessness in the UK

Statistically representative survey of users of ‘low threshold’ homelessness, drugs and other services in seven cities across UK

1,286 survey responses from all users of these services

452 extended interviews with service users who had experienced MEH: ‘homelessness’ + at least one of ‘institutional care’, ‘substance misuse’ or 'street culture activities’

Migrants in the MEH population

17% of all MEH interviewees migrated to the UK as an adult; 41% of interviewees in Westminster (London)

Specific migrant groups: Central and Eastern European (CCE): 7% Former asylum seekers (refugee status or leave

to remain) – 3% Current asylum seekers – 1% Undocumented migrants – 4%

A profile of migrants in the MEH population

On average, they migrated to the UK aged 30 One fifth were UK citizens by point of

interview 78% were male (similar to non-migrants) Younger than non-migrants on average (90%

were under 50) Tended to have left school later and to have

more qualifications than non-migrants

Current accommodation

Accommodation Non-migrant Migrant

1. Hostel etc. 45% 26%

2. Permanent housing

21% 16%

3. Temporary flat 14% 8%

4. Sleeping rough 8% 33%

5. Family or friends 7% 10%

6. Squat 2% 6%

7. Other 3% 2%

Sources of income in past monthSource of income Non-migrants Migrants

1. UK benefits 93% 43%

2. Paid work 5% 18%

3. Friends or relatives 11% 20%

4. Charity/church 1% 8%

5. Big Issue 4% 18%

6. Begging 5% 6%

7. Illegal activities 8% 0%

8. None 2% 16%

MEH-relevant experiences

Experience Non-migrants Migrants

1. Rough sleeping 75% 88%

2. Hostels etc. 88% 66%

3. Prison 52% 14%

4. Admitted to hospital with a mental health issue

32% 16%

5. Used hard drugs 46% 35%

6. Alcohol problems 68% 37%

7. Street drinking 59% 26%

8. Begging 33% 26%

9. Attempted suicide 41% 20%

Childhood experiences

Experience Non-migrants Migrants

1. Truanted 54% 29%

2. Ran away 38% 16%

3. Violence between parents

29% 16%

4. Parents had drug/alcohol problem

26% 14%

5. Sexually abused 24% 19%

6. Physically abused 23% 16%

7. In care 18% 8%

Conclusions

Homeless and destitute migrants a growing concern across a range of western European cities

In UK at least, migrants have a very different profile from rest of MEH population, and require bespoke responses