Issue - meetings

Henry St-Clair Miller (Manager, NRPF Network) spoke to the Committee and highlighted the following key points:

·         The NRPF Network looks at the implications of NRPF for local government and aims to influence local and central government on this issue.

·         The NRPF Network works with the Home Office on NRPF Connect, a database that collates information on NRPF cases including costs, case types, immigration status and the status of children. This information is shared with local government and the Home Office.

·         28 local authorities are using NRPF Connect, which represents a significant proportion of the NRPF caseload.

·         The NRPF Network is hosted by Islington Council. Islington had a high asylum population at the end of the 1990s and kept their asylum team to assist with adults with health needs. It then evolved to deal with NRPF. The NRPF Network is supported through commission based training, as well as some other sources of funding. Lewisham is part of the NRPF Network.

·         The NRPF Network also maintains is a collective dataset that provides evidence of trends on immigration policy.

·         The aim is to provide evidence on the true situation with NRPF and draw them into partnership.

·         Leaving people with NRPF in limbo with no decision on their immigration status isn’t good and represents a significant cost burden for the local authority. The NRPF Network wants to help tackle decision making beyond local authority control, such as leave to remain and removals.

·         The NRPF Network has been working the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) over the caseload burden assessment.

·         The NRPF Steering Group monitors the effectiveness of NRPF approaches.

In response to questions from the Committee, Henry St.Clair-Miller provided the following information:

·         There are a number of factors behind the increase in NRPF, including the economic downturn as well as the shift from asylum to managed immigration with associated issues not being picked up.

·         Because the UK does not carry out ‘amnesties’ for large numbers of people who have been in the UK for a long time, many people have been in the country for a long time without having a firm decision or action taken over their status.

·         The Home Office is currently pursuing a policy approach of creating a harsher environment for those in the country illegally, such as restricting access to driving licenses and bank accounts. The aim is that this harsh environment will force people to leave the country as their lives will not be sustainable. From a Home Office perspective this will reduce the need for costly deportations and discourage future migrants.

·         However, if this approach does not work there could be an increase in NRPF referrals coming through to local authorities. This could be particularly challenging given the strong responsibilities for local authorities on providing support for children.

·         Lewisham has taken a stringent approach to NRPF which based on data based and uses evidence.

·         A good approach to NRPF is about having the right people to deal with it, which is not necessarily the social care  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3