AQW 8268/22-27

Ms Kate Nicholl
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 06/03/2024
Answered On Date: 20/03/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister what engagement they have had with (i) the Home Office; (ii) Mears; and (iii) the Housing Executive to address issues with housing and education for asylum seekers who receive refugee status.

Answer:

The Department engages regularly at regional and local level on issues arising from the granting of positive asylum decisions. This includes through the fortnightly Move On Delivery Board chaired by Home Office and attended by TEO and NIHE officials, alongside a range of stakeholders from across the regions.

At local level, we have established a multi-agency Move On Coordination Group which includes members from TEO, Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE), Department for Education (DE), Department of Health (DoH) and the Education Authority (EA). The Group meets fortnightly to coordinate the devolved response, scoping impact of the move on policy and seeking solutions at both regional and case-based level, including on issues related to housing and education.

The move on process and impacts have also been discussed at a focused meeting of the Strategic Planning Group on Refugees and Asylum Seekers (SPG (RAS)).