Gloucester City Council is among the local authorities and charities in England which share sensitive details of homeless people with the Home Office under a controversial programme which could lead to their deportation.
The details of homeless people were shared with Rough Sleeping Support Service (RSSS) 85 times between 14 October 2020 and 23 December 2021, according to documents obtained by Liberty Investigates under Freedom of Information laws.
The service promises to identify within 24 hours whether an undocumented rough sleeper has an immigration status that allows them to access public funds, such as housing support.
However, anyone found to have no lawful basis to remain in the UK could face deportation. The Home Office has not confirmed how many – if any – of the 85 people referred since October 2020 have been removed from the UK.
According to documents obtained by Liberty Investigates and the Observer, the referrals were made by 11 councils including Gloucester City Council.
Jun Pang, Policy and Campaigns Officer at Liberty, said: “This Government’s commitment to the hostile environment is as strong as ever, despite clear evidence that it continues to entrench destitution and suffering.
“Just as data-sharing between public services and the Home Office has undermined the public health response to the pandemic, turning homelessness support workers into border guards will put lives at risk.
“The Government must ensure that homeless people can safely access the help and support they need. It must disentangle border controls from our public services, and scrap the toxic hostile environment.”
A spokesperson for Gloucester City Council confirmed they have made referrals to the RSSS.
“Although we are not able to discuss individual cases, we can confirm that we’ve made referrals for people sleeping rough, with their consent, to the RSSS,” they said.
“Confirming immigration status gives us a better understanding of an individual’s needs and how we can help them access services and support.”
A Home Office spokesperson said they remain committed to the RSSS to help get people off the streets, which has been an open and transparent service throughout.
They said: “The public expects those with no right to be here and who make no effort to legalise their status to be removed – either voluntarily or enforced.”
By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter