Housing rights of migrants in Northern Ireland

The Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, announced in the Assembly last week that Northern Ireland intends to welcome between 50 and 100 Syrian asylum seekers by December of this year.  Mr McGuinness hopes that Northern Ireland will take in up to 2,000 people fleeing violence and political chaos in Syria.  A recent report by The Detail states that there is currently a record high of almost 500 people from other countries seeking asylum in Northern Ireland. Some of the difficulties faced by these people include language barriers, poor housing provision and the availability of specialist legal advice.

Training on housing issues for migrants

Providing housing advice to people of other nationalities can often be challenging and Housing Rights is providing training on housing issues for migrants to ensure that local advice services are able to provide a full service to all their clients.

The Law Centre is the main organisation tasked with providing advice on immigration in Northern Ireland.  Housing Rights does not provide immigration advice but does provide advice to people on their housing rights.  The housing rights of foreign nationals very much depend on their right to reside in Northern Ireland, be that as asylum seekers, refugees, EEA workers and their families or people who have been granted leave to remain.  

Housing rights of asylum seekers

When an asylum seeker is unable to support him or herself, accommodation is provided by government.  This accommodation is often referred to as NASS (National Asylum Support Services) accommodation.  Asylum seekers receive limited financial support from the government and are unable to work until a decision has been reached on their case.  In Northern Ireland, the Housing Executive is responsible for sourcing NASS accommodation and this is generally provided in privately owned properties.   NASS accommodation is usually provided for families and particularly vulnerable households, while single asylum seekers may be placed in Larne House, a holding centre for people who have come to seek asylum.

Housing Rights regularly assists asylum seekers who have experienced problems in their NASS accommodation, most commonly problems associated with disrepair or substandard housing.

An asylum seeker becomes a refugee if the government approves their application for asylum.  Once someone becomes a refugee their entitlement to benefits and housing will be similar to those of a UK citizen.  Article 1 of the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees defines a refugee as:

“A person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it..

Housing rights of foreign workers and their families

In addition to understanding the housing rights of asylum seekers, advisers must also know what rights to housing other foreign nationals have.  The most complicated housing issues are often those around determining eligibility of EEA nationals, particularly in light of recent changes to the laws governing access to housing and benefits for this group.  Our upcoming course will look in detail at the laws surrounding EEA nationals’ rights to access housing benefit, social housing and homelessness assistance as well investigating how case law has shaped these laws in recent years.

Find out more and book your place

Contact Training Officer Bronagh McCulla to find out more about our upcoming training and to book your place on this course.