Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Homelessness
Comparative Studies on Homelessness 6
About the Research
The goal of this research was to explore whether the recent humanitarian crisis in the EU has had an impact on homelessness services. The study explores the role played by the homelessness sector in providing accommodation and other basic services for three groups:
- Asylum applicants (those who have asked for asylum and are waiting to be assessed)
- Refugees (in this report, this term is used to cover people granted international protection, including refugee status or subsidiary forms of protection that give them the right to remain in an EU Member State)
- People whose asylum application has been refused.
The research is based on a standardised questionnaire that experts in 12 EU Member States were asked to complete. In many instances the experts consulted with relevant services and professionals and also undertook a series of interviews to inform their answers to the questionnaire. The study focused on the recent wave of asylum seekers in 2015 and the first months of 2016 from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. The study did not include internal migration of EU citizens.
A questionnaire was circulated to national experts in 12 EU Member States. The countries selected, trying to ensure a fair geographical balance, were: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom (an EU Member State at the time of writing).