Three areas of Scotland have been highlighted as areas where there is a greater risk of destitution as the UK government seeks to clear a backlog on asylum claims for hundreds across the country.

The British Red Cross has estimated that 53,100 who are seeking refugee status will be at risk of being without a home across the UK if the Government clears the backlog on decisions.

The concerns surfaced after it emerged that the number of people in the UK waiting for a decision on their asylum claims has risen to a record high while the UK government has set targets to clear the  so-called legacy backlog by the end of this year.

The charity said that even if decision-making on asylum claims is not sped up and the target not met, 26,000 people could still be at risk of destitution and homelessness.

The Herald understands that the charity's analysis highlights three Scots local authority areas where there is particular housing pressures for people in asylum accommodation - Glasgow City, City of Edinburgh and South Lanarkshire.

The Glasgow City Council area was earmarked as having the highest housing pressure of any local authority in Scotland while housing 4,267 in asylum accommodation. The pressure on housing is rated at ten out of a scale of one to ten.

The City of Edinburgh, which is housing 39 in asylum accommodation was also rated 10 for housing pressure.

South Lanarkshire Council, which is housing 67 was rated nine.

The charity pinpointed Glasgow, London and North West England as having particularly high numbers of people in asylum accommodation who are "at risk of destitution" as well as high housing pressure.

Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken said the council was liaising with Home Office officials over what she called "unconscionable plans" to clear the asylum backlog saying the council knows that there are "severe risks that this will unduly impact vulnerable people in our communities".

The Herald: Susan Aitken

She said: "I agree with the British Red Cross that the impact will be to increase destitution and homelessness at a time when our service is already at a tipping point."

Home Office figures show that more than 175,000 people were waiting for a decision on whether they will be granted refugee status at the end of June 2023 - up 44% from last year.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set targets to clear the backlog by the end of 2023 in December,  last year

Officials have cleared on average 2,061 of those cases a month since then.

With 67,870 of the legacy cases remaining, the Home Office would have to process around 11,311 of them per month if it is to meet its target.

The Red Cross say that while more decisions are being made on asylum claims due to the streamlined asylum process it is putting an increasing amount of pressure on local authorities to support people to find housing quickly.

The legacy backlog refers to the asylum applications lodged before June 2022.

Ms Aitken said: “What we know is that there are severe risks that this will unduly impact vulnerable people in our communities. I agree with the British Red Cross that the impact will be to increase destitution and homelessness at a time when our service is already at a tipping point.

“Alongside the city’s lead for homelessness [Allan Casey] we have written to the Home Secretary to firmly express our view that she must not progress with these ill-conceived plans - which will cost the council tens of millions of pounds to respond to - until there is a proper, funded, network of practical support in place for the thousands of asylum seekers who will be impacted by receiving either positive or negative decisions in this way. We are yet to receive a response.”

The Herald:

An asylum seeker is a person who flees their home country, enters another country and applies for the right to international protection and to stay in that country.

In the UK, asylum seekers are not allowed to work, and must rely on state support. Housing is provided, but asylum seekers cannot choose where it is.

The Red Cross said that as the 28 day ‘move-on’ process – the time given to refugees to move from asylum support to mainstream benefits or employment – changed, it has left some people with as little as seven days to move out of their asylum accommodation.

The charity warns this could lead to devastating levels of destitution saying it is "simply not enough time for most people".

It says it wants the government to extend the move-on period to 56 days to match the time period local authorities are given to work with households at risk of homelessness.

The charity says it has seen some people receive only seven days’ notice to move on because of a change in the way the Home Office is implementing the move-on period.

They say it is now counting the 28 days from the time when people receive their asylum decision letter, rather than when they receive their Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). People need their BRP to be able to apply for Universal Credit.

Aditi Jehangir, secretary for Living Rent said: "It is good that the government is speeding up the asylum seeker process and removing people from being in administrative limbo. But without careful consideration to the housing needs of people after their claim is cleared, thousands will be faced with homelessness.

"It is not enough for the UK government to just speed up the processing of asylum claims, it also needs to build far more social homes to ensure that ex-asylum seekers and the hundreds of thousands on social housing waiting lists have a place to call home.

"We have the resources, our government’s need to show the political will. Failing to build more homes will lead to people being pushed into destitution and temporary homelessness accommodation. The government also needs to extend the amount of time before people are forced out of their asylum seeker accommodation to ensure people do not end up destitute."

The Refugee Council has said the delays in asylum claims were having a devastating impact on people whose lives are put on hold indefinitely while they anxiously wait to hear whether they will be allowed to stay.

A Home Office spokesman said: “We do not recognise these forecasts. All asylum applications are considered on individual merits.

“The pressure on the asylum system has continued to grow, with hotel accommodation costing millions of pounds a day.

“We encourage individuals to make their onward plans as soon as possible after receiving their decision, whether that is leaving the UK following a refusal, or taking steps to integrate in the UK following a grant. We provide support for refugees to access jobs, benefits and housing.”

Home Office figures show in the year ending June 2023 that 78,768 asylum claims were made relating to 97,390 people - up by almost a fifth in a year and the highest number in two decades.

The number of claims being withdrawn - meaning they are ended by asylum seekers or officials - shot up from 4,044 cases last year to 15,244.

A total of 1,438,471 visas were issued - up 28% from 1,125,155 in the year to June 2022.

And government spending on asylum in the UK has almost doubled - from £2.12bn in 2021-22 to £3.97bn in 2022-23.

Sharon Egan, head of housing services at South Lanarkshire Council, said: “Pressure for housing is currently high across all sectors and client groups in South Lanarkshire.  The council will continue to provide support wherever possible to any individual(s) who need help, whether it be appropriate accommodation, guidance, or signposting to services.”