The issue emerged as the threat of eviction was lifted from more than 2500 former asylum seekers when the Home Office abandoned its hardline policy on withdrawing support.
Coventry council currently supports 17 asylum seekers from the accession countries. They have the right to return to their countries of origin, which as EU members are judged to be safe, at the council's expense.
Fraser Murray, the council's asylum and refugee coordinator, said: "We are hoping that the Home Office would reimburse any costs but that has not been decided yet."
If the council does have to foot the bill for repatriation, this will apply to other councils in similar situations.
Meanwhile, the Home Office has bowed to pressure from the sector and told councils they can continue supporting 2500-plus former asylum seekers from accession countries until case-by-case assessments are completed by the National Asylum Support Service.
It still maintains that councils have three options: become self-supporting, return to their country of origin or stay with family or friends. If withdrawing support would violate their human rights, though, the Home Office would continue support while they searched for work or other means of independence.
This marked a climbdown from its former position that all support would end on 15 May. This was itself a reprieve, as support was originally supposed to end when the EU expanded on 1 May (HT 30 April, page 7).
Sue Willman, a solicitor at law firm Pierce Glynn who is representing one former asylum seeker, said: "We are delighted the Home Office has agreed to follow proper procedures before deciding to evict these families.
"This will give hundreds of new European citizens, who have been in the UK for years as asylum seekers, time to get on their feet and find work and housing."
Source
Housing Today
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