AQW 2247/22-27

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 28/06/2022
Answered On Date: 21/07/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail the steps her Department is taking to support asylum seekers who raise complaints concerning poor housing conditions to the accommodation provider.

Answer:

Issues around immigration, including accommodation and support for asylum seekers, are excepted matters and do not fall within my Department’s remit.

The Home Office has contracted Mears to provide accommodation for asylum seekers locally. This contract falls outside my Department’s control.

My Department funds Housing Rights, a registered charity, to provide housing advice and assistance to members of the public, including asylum seekers.

The Law Centre is funded to provide a range of advice and information services including advice on complex legal issues that anyone, including asylum seekers, migrants or refugees, can avail off at no cost.