Family Early Help
The Home Office has different types of hotels that it uses for temporary accommodation and its important to know the differences between them. There are two main types in Camden - bridging hotels and contingency hotels.
What Are Bridging Hotels?
Bridging hotels are temporary accommodation opened by the Home Office just for Afghan refugees who were part of the evacuation programme. At 22 September 2021, Camden had 3 bridging hotels, all in the south of the borough. As you saw in the 'Afghan Refugee Journey' section, the evacuated refugees were offered a room in bridging hotel by the Home Office after leaving the quarantine hotel.
One of Camden's bridging hotels closed in December 2021, so we now have 2.
What are Contingency Hotels?
Contingency hotels are temporary accommodation opened by the Home Office for people seeking asylum or sanctuary who arrived in the UK via unsafe route (for example small boat). They come from anywhere across the world. At 22 September 2021, Camden had 5 contingency hotels. They are in 5 different Camden wards. There is a small number of Afghan nationals in the contingency hotels who arrived before the evacuation.
One of Camden's contingency hotels closed in December 2021, so we now have 4.
Why Does It Matter That I Know the Difference?
The circumstances for people in the two types of hotels are different, and that means our work with them will be different too. Here is a summary of those differences. The main one to be aware of is that people staying in bridging hotels have leave to remain and recourse to public funds. People in contingency hotels don't.
Regardless of of a family's status, our role - to give practical and emotional help, with love and care, so that families can feel stronger, and to act with integrity, curiosity, purpose, creativity, consistency, compassion and humility - remains exactly the same.
Where Can I Find Resources To Help Families Who Do Not Have Leave and Have No Recourse?
There is a range of information, advice and resources for working with families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) and families seeking asylum on the Guidebook here