The number of refugees evicted into homelessness in Cardiff has doubled, as the Home Office closes hotels and speeds through the legacy backlog.
A total of 109 refugees were assessed as homeless after eviction from asylum accommodation in the Welsh capital between August and October, up from 51 in the same period in 2022, data obtained by The Big Issue shows.
Attempts to clear the legacy backlog of asylum cases, coupled with an effective reduction in the minimum ‘move-on’ time given to evicted refugees, has resulted in a nationwide homelessness crisis.
Facing a shortage of temporary accommodation, councils in England have warned of thousands being forced onto the streets without urgent financial support.
In Cardiff, an average of 33 refugees a month have been evicted into homelessness since August, up from an average of 10 in the months up to August.
Cardiff Council has made use of a hostel to put up those evicted from asylum accommodation, The Big Issue understands, and has put in place a staff team to deal with the approximately 350 evictions it has seen since the summer.