Can’t Stay. Can’t Go. Refused asylum seekers who cannot be returned 33 Most embassies will not ever write you a letter to obtain documents – I don’t think what the saying that you were there. They’re not going Home Office expect reflects what people to give you a document. They very, very rarely are able to do in terms of when someone will ever do that. That’s one of the reasons why is destitute. I think ultimately, if the Home we send witnesses with people. But we often Office is making a decision on evidence that find that the response from the Home Office is, people need to go and gather, then they well, try again, try again; you need up-to-date should be supported while they’re gathering evidence that you’ve tried again recently. It that evidence…. I don’t think people should just can become never ending, a never-ending be made destitute while they’re looking for journey. (Red Cross staff member, Leeds) evidence. There should be a continuation of asylum support to enable people to gather Beyond that recognition of difficulty, staff feel evidence. (Red Cross staff member, Glasgow 1) the Home Office should support the process of gathering documents, which includes providing The staff member in Leeds stressed that keeping financial assistance. The staff member in Leeds felt people on support means you know where they the Home Office should readily provide money for are when they do become removable: transport to help people get to the embassy: And if you are serious about removing them, There’s always issues getting transport…. I providing them support keeps them on your don’t understand that if the Home Office want radar. Then, in the future, if they are removable people to be able to get documentation to then they’ve got them on their radar; so surely return, why they can’t support, why they can’t that would be better. (Red Cross staff member, pay for transport, why they can’t make it easier Leeds) for people. (Red Cross staff member, Leeds) Give them the right to work The staff member in Birmingham felt the Three staff members felt this group should be Home Office should also be more involved in given the right to work: communicating with embassies around re- documentation. Give them right to work because that will prevent, that will stop exploitation. It will stop Keep people on support people from absconding, it will help their mental Four staff members felt that refused asylum health – so many benefits. It will help the country seekers who cannot return should be on support. because they will pay tax…. I think it just makes Two staff stressed that charities should not be so much sense, even just from an economic relied on to provide a safety net: side of things. It’s not even the humanitarian side. (Red Cross staff member, Leicester) I feel they should be offered some kind of support and accommodation…. I could Having the right to work. If they could work, be idealistic and say there should be more make money, how much different that would charities offering accommodation and better be for them; they’re actually contributing. (Red night shelters and more destitution funds, Cross staff member, Teesside) but that then all comes back to society, not the Home Office. (Red Cross staff member, Raise awareness and provide training around Glasgow 2) statelessness Two staff members felt refused asylum seekers, The staff member in Teesside felt that longer- legal practitioners and non-governmental term issues, such as mental and physical health organisations working with this group should be problems, will end up costing the government a made more aware of the statelessness procedure significant amount if this group continues to be “because I don’t think a lot of people know about ignored. the possibility of asking to become stateless” (Red Cross staff member, Leicester). One of the staff members in Glasgow felt that continuing asylum support would enable people to It could be helpful if there was maybe more gather evidence: training provided to frontline workers to pick up on things, but also to legal providers to know I think there needs to be a realistic or advise on those, if there’s potential to make understanding of how difficult it is for people a serious statelessness application, because