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Press Release
For immediate release Thursday, August 6th 2026 "SERCO MUST GO" - RAPAR CALLS FOR AN IMMEDIATE END TO THE PRIVATISATION OF ASYLUM HOUSING Manchester Human Rights organisation RAPAR has warned that "Serco Must Go" if Andy Burnham is to end rough sleeping, the first pledge he made when he became Prime Minister. RAPAR believes the privatisation of asylum accommodation has created housing problems and homelessness over many years. It would be far better if asylum housing support was in the hands of local authorities - a policy the Prime Minister says he supports. Now RAPAR is urging refugees, charities, trade unions and community organisations to join together and demand that the Government brings a swift end to multi billion pound asylum housing contracts with private companies Serco, Mears and Clearsprings. RAPAR Founder Dr Rhetta Moran said: "Street homeless people, including many refugees who reach out to us for help and who we see every night on our streets in Greater Manchester, demonstrate that the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme has simply not worked for many. This is not a surprise: no piecemeal intervention, however well intentioned, can create sustainable and meaningful change. "As is the case with many industries, from Water to Energy, privatisation has done nothing but degrade service delivery and put more money in the pockets of the rich. The Refugee ‘industry’ is no exception. "The time is well overdue for bringing everything to do with homelessness back into public ownership - and we call upon the Prime Minister to meet with us as a matter of urgency to carve out how we do that in partnership with street homeless people themselves." It is expected that the total cost of the 10 year Home Office contracts with private companies will hit £15.3 billion by 2029, according to a National Audit Office report in May last year. Asylum accommodation, including in the hotels, is often sub-standard and unsafe. The Government should end the contracts now instead of waiting for them to expire in three years' time. When a positive decision on an asylum claim is reached, private contractors that provide asylum accommodation (in the North West, it is Serco) tell people they are being evicted because they are no longer seeking asylum. Many end up living on the streets because they have nowhere else to go. Legally, the "move on" period is 28 days. A longer period of time would ease the homelessness situation to an extent but if local authorities were responsible, and fully resourced, for asylum housing the administration of it would be much smoother, more cohesive and less stressful. Alimamy Bangura, co chair of RAPAR's Leadership group, says Serco does not properly explain the transition from living in hotels - or other asylum accommodation - to the housing people will live in when they have been given refugee status. "There is a lack of clear guidance about what to expect during this process, particularly regarding housing arrangements. "In addition, there is insufficient information about children’s schooling and how their education will be managed when the families move from hotel accommodation to their new homes," he says. For more information, please contact: Kath Grant on 07865 713474 [email protected] [email protected] Dr Rhetta Moran 07776 264646
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