My Lords, in rising to support these amendments, to some of which I have added my name, I declare my interests in relation to both the RAMP project and Reset, as set out in the register.
Where we live and sleep is fundamental to our health, well-being and ability to live our lives fully. It should be a place we feel safe, from where we can build our lives. The majority of people who claim asylum will be granted refugee status or humanitarian protection. From day one in this country, they should therefore be treated as future citizens—a gift to us rather than a problem or inconvenience. They may well have endured persecution and trauma, but they also have skills and experience that they want to actively use to contribute to our society. This should inform the whole asylum process, including how they are accommodated.
I am deeply concerned about the planned accommodation centres for asylum seekers. The Home Secretary has said that the continued use of Napier barracks may inform the final design of how accommodation centres will operate. This does not bode well given the serious concerns raised by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and the findings of the High Court of fundamental failures by the Home Office in ensuring that the barracks were suitable accommodation for vulnerable asylum seekers.
I am now in the position, unlike anyone else in this House I think, to say that I visited Napier barracks last week with two Members from the other place: the honourable Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale, Tim Farron, and the right honourable Member for Romsey and Southampton North, Caroline Nokes—herself a former Minister for Immigration. We were accompanied by the Bishop of Dover and three members of the RAMP project team. I put on record our deep gratitude to the Minister for her support in ensuring that the visit took place, and for intervening when it looked like it might get cancelled at short notice. She worked tirelessly for us, and we thank her.
It was clear from our visit that efforts have been made to improve things in the light of the previous inspection and the court case. The conditions are far from ideal, but the deeply shocking conditions we have learnt about at Napier and Penally camps should never be repeated, and they are not currently being repeated. Good-quality asylum accommodation should be provided from the outset, not forced following inspections and legal challenge. I have a number of observations to make and questions to ask of the Minister that apply to the different areas of our four amendments.
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What specific learnings from Napier, and particularly from the reforms that have happened in Napier over the last few months, will be applied to the plans for future accommodation centres? For example, will sleeping areas be limited to two people? There are some single rooms and some rooms for two people, but most people are currently accommodated in what are described as “small dormitories” for either five or seven people. These are large halls separated by wood dividers that are only a bit taller than I am. They are not an unreasonable size: in each of the divides there is a bed, a desk, a storage cupboard, a chair, a table lamp and so on. However, there is simply a sheet or curtain hanging in front of that section that divides it off and offers any kind of privacy. There is a lot of noise, therefore. Several of the occupants we talked to chose to share a room rather than live in single rooms, but they did not like living in small dormitories.
I have other questions. Will there be funding for ESOL classes, rather than relying on the local charity that comes in to deliver them? They are there on a regular basis, but not funded by the Government. Will there be adequate recreational activities? Watching football being played on the hard surface was quite entertaining at points but, when I went to the medical centre, I was told that the most frequent reason for visiting it is cuts, twists and gashes from playing
football on such surfaces. It would be quite nice to have a bit of grass. Will work be done on community cohesion with the local communities? Will there be appropriate medical expertise on site? The nurse practitioner whom we met, who is on site four days a week, was very impressive. However, on the fifth there is someone who is not there regularly, and over the weekends there is no medical expertise on site; people have to ring 111. Will there be effective processes to ensure that the most vulnerable are not housed at these sites? Will the Minister confirm, as has already been asked, that no children or families will be accommodated in such centres?
I remain deeply concerned after visiting. One of these concerns is about the use of an MoD site, given the risk of retraumatising residents. On the day of our visit, there were several military helicopters passing over the site and landing next door that meant we could not hear each other speak. That was an inconvenience for us, but what memories does a military helicopter taking off or landing evoke in residents? It may be a very bad memory. Military settings are bound to evoke deep memories in some and are not appropriate.
I would not want anything I say to be taken as a criticism of the staff whom we met; they worked very hard to support the residents and had a good rapport with them. However, one still cannot avoid the overall feeling of a prison camp rather than a place of safety and welcome.
People thrive in communities. A more compassionate and effective asylum system would give people accommodation within communities that allowed for proper social integration and proper access to education and healthcare, and it would create an environment for them to engage fully with the asylum process and their own application. This would all make for people being able better to integrate in the long term.
Asylum application processing needs to be quicker and more accurate so that time spent in asylum accommodation is of a minimum. I support a minimum time, but the best way of having that is by processing applications much more effectively. The current situation, whereby people are left to deteriorate during the long process, so that once they receive their status they are shadows of their former selves, is just not acceptable. The overriding concern of the Napier residents whom we spoke to was about the progress of their asylum application and the welfare of their family, often still in their country of origin. The lack of update from the Home Office on their applications was the deepest cause of frustration and concern that we all heard.
The amendments that I speak to in Clause 12 seek to gain some clarity on the design and use of the reception centres and to respond to some of the most serious concerns that have resulted from the use of military barracks. Capacity should be limited to no more than 100 residents—there are currently 308 in Napier—and people should not be required to share sleeping quarters with those whom they are unrelated to or whom they do not choose to share with.
Groups of people who are more likely to be vulnerable should not be allowed to be housed in such centres. Organisations supporting individuals in military barracks have raised serious concerns about the efficacy of the Home Office assessments in identifying vulnerabilities.
We understood from the Minister during the Committee stage of the Bill in the other place that there were no plans to place families with children. This is welcome, but please can that be confirmed.
I hope that it has assisted the Committee to hear first-hand evidence from last week. Those of us who visited will produce a report in due course. I hope that the Minister will listen to these concerns and work towards an approach to accommodation which has integration and well-being at its heart.