New refugees and Housing
Case reference FOI2023/00483
Published 25 January 2024
Request
I am writing to request the following under the Freedom of Information Act: 1. The number of 'new refugees' who applied to the Council for housing in 2022? 2. The number of 'new refugees' who presented as homeless to the Council in 2022? 3. The number of 'new refugees who have applied to the Council for housing in 2023 (up until today's date)? 4. The number of 'new refugees' who have presented as homeless to the Council in 2023 (up until today's date)? 5. Does your Council have an estimate of the number of 'new refugees' who will approach you for housing behind today's date and the end of 2023? For the purposes of the FOI, 'new refugees' has been defined as asylum seekers who have recently received a positive decision on their asylum application, granting them refugee or humanitarian status to remain in the UK.
Response
1. The number of 'new refugees' who applied to the Council for housing in 2022?
We don't record immigration status on our housing system for applicants on the housing register.
2. The number of 'new refugees' who presented as homeless to the Council in 2022?
We record immigration status for homeless applicants, but we do not record the date of their status, so we wouldn't have information if they had received their status recently.
Total homeless applicants with refugee status in 2022 - 20, of which 4 had homeless reason 'Required to leave accommodation provided by Home Office as asylum support'.
3. The number of 'new refugees who have applied to the Council for housing in 2023 (up until today's date)?
See question 1.
4. The number of 'new refugees' who have presented as homeless to the Council in 2023 (up until today's date)?
See also question 2.
Total homeless applicants with refugee status in 2023 - 24, of which 4 had homeless reason 'Required to leave accommodation provided by Home Office as asylum support'.
5. Does your Council have an estimate of the number of 'new refugees' who will approach you for housing behind today's date and the end of 2023?
No.
Documents
This is Oxford City Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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