Homeless refugees

The Al-Ameri and Osmani families both came to the UK seeking asylum. They were dispersed to homes in Glasgow where they lived for several months. When their asylum claims succeeded, this accommodation was withdrawn and they became homeless. They chose to make housing applications to London boroughs. The two councils accepted that the families were unintentionally homeless and in priority need. However, the London authorities asked Glasgow council to accommodate on the basis that both families had established a "local connection" with Glasgow by their residence there. Glasgow refused the referrals and neither family wished to return there.

The question for the House of Lords was whether the legal test for local connection ("a connection with it because he is, or in the past was, normally resident there and that residence is or was of his own choice") was met. The Law Lords unanimously decided that because National Asylum Support Service claimants were allocated accommodation on a "no choice" basis in areas chosen by NASS officials, it could not be said they were resident there of their "own choice" – so a local connection by residence could not be established. The London councils had to accommodate the families.