Refugees face challenges with UK biometric residence permits

Some UK councils are refusing to recognize biometric residence permits (BRP) which may be putting newly recognized refugees at risk of homelessness, refugee rights groups are warning.

Refugees arriving in the UK who are granted refugee or humanitarian protection status receive biometric residence permits (BPR) within five to seven working days. Relying on fingerprint and facial biometrics, a BRP can be used to confirm a person’s identity, their right to study in the UK and their right to any public services or benefits. Once they receive it, refugees are expected to move out from government-provided asylum accommodation within 28 days.

Organizations such as the Refugee Council, Asylum Matters and the British Red Cross are raising questions on whether the period is long enough for refugees to find accommodation in the UK’s competitive rental market. They are also warning that the government is not doing enough for refugees in danger of homelessness, including failing to recognize BPRs.

UK councils are required to provide support to anyone who is either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless within the next 56 days which leaves refugees with a long gap between access to asylum accommodation and homeless assistance.

“Many local authorities also don’t accept either the grant determination letter or the BRP as proof that the person is at risk of homelessness, which shortens the period to find accommodation even further,” the Refugee Council wrote in a statement in October last year. Asylum accommodation should therefore be extended to 56 days from receiving their BRP, the groups argue.

On Thursday, the House of Lords debated changes to the integration process for refugees

Refugees are also facing other challenges with the BRP. In November 2022, the UK Home Office warned visa applicants of possible delays in the production of their BRP.

The government is currently developing a digital immigration system that will replace physical documents with online immigration records known as eVisa. Because of the transition, all BRPs expire on or before 31 December 2024. The UK government is also working on a package of enhanced integration support for those arriving in the UK through “safe and legal” routes.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  government services  |  humanitarian  |  identity verification  |  refugee registration  |  UK