Overview

The asylum system inherited by the new Government in July 2024 was in a state of chaos, with productivity of decision makers at its lowest since the height of the Covid pandemic as a result of the Illegal Migration Act 2023.  

One of the first steps taken by the new Government was to remove the blockages to processing asylum claims, and thousands of asylum decisions are now being made each month. As a consequence, large numbers of people will be granted refugee status and be required to “move-on” from their Home Office accommodation and financial support and find alternative housing and income.  

While receiving a positive asylum decision should be a moment of celebration, we know from our work with refugees and the past research carried out by the Refugee Council and others that too many newly recognised refugees find themselves destitute and homeless just weeks later. At the same time as the number of asylum decisions drastically increases, from November 2024 the Home Office replaced Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) with eVisas, adding further complexity to the move-on period for refugees  

In December 2024, the Home Office announced that they would be piloting an extension of the move-on period from 28 days to 56 days. While welcome, it is only a temporary change and whether it will have a positive impact on newly recognised refugees will depend on how it is implemented and the support provided to people. 

The Refugee Council has secured funding to undertake peer-led research focused on the experiences of newly recognised refugees to evidence the impact of the extension to the move-on period and the transition to eVisas. The research will add to the existing body of evidence relating to the move-on period and support the development of recommendations for long-term systemic change of national and local government policy and practice. It will also compliment the Home Office’s own evaluation of the temporary extension to the move-on period. 

About the Research

During the first phase of this project, the commissioned party will work with a small group of refugees with lived experience of the UK’s asylum system who have been recruited as peer-researchers. They will work together to provide an overview of research skills and develop the research plan, including research questions, in partnership with the Refugee Council’s policy team.  

During the second stage, the commissioned party will then support the peer-researchers, with assistance from the Refugee Council’s policy team, to undertake interviews and workshops with refugees, Refugee Community Organisations, support organisations and other stakeholders. 

Following the completion of the field research, the commissioned party will then work with the peer-researchers to summarise the findings and draft policy recommendations, working closely with the Refugee Council’s policy team. The draft recommendations will then be presented back to research participants for further discussion. 

At the end of this stage, the research partner will finalise the findings and recommendations, in the form of a report that will answer the agreed research questions. The Refugee Council’s policy team will then use that evidence base to write an advocacy report, co-authored with the peer-researchers.  

Outputs

The commissioned partner will bring together their analysis in a written report of approximately 30 pages, including recommendations (though this will depend on the scope of the research questions and can be agreed with the successful partner). This does not need to include a policy review. 

During the research stage, there will also be check-ins with internal Refugee Council stakeholders, including members of the Senior Leadership Team, to present on emerging findings from the research (the exact number will be decided with the successful partner, but is likely to one or two meetings). 

Costs

The total budget available for this piece of work is £10k-£12k, inclusive of VAT.  

We invite applicants to provide their own breakdown of the time they believe will be required for this project through the inclusion of a drafted timeline in your application. Please ensure you factor in time to meet with the Refugee Council team at the relevant milestones during each phase of the project. 

We would like to include a kick-off call at the start of the project to agree objectives, as well as a session to agree research questions. Regular meetings throughout will also provide opportunities to address any emerging questions. 

We also ask that sufficient time is allocated to incorporate Refugee Council feedback to a first draft of the report. 

While the days worked on the project do not have to be conducted consecutively, our hope is to have the output signed off by the end of June 2025.  

Quality Criteria

All applications will be evaluated according to the criteria below. Scores on different criteria are weighted (as a percentage of the overall score) to reflect their importance.  

Criteria Weighting  

Experience and skills of the proposed researcher or research team, in particular those relating to co-producing projects with people with lived experience of the asylum system or equivalent processes  60%  

Value for money 40% 

Next Steps

Should you have any questions about this brief, please email these to Jon Featonby (Jonathan.featonby@refugeecouncil.org.uk).  

If you are interested in completing this work, please send the below by 27 March 2025 to Jon Featonby at jonathan.featonby@refugeecouncil.org.uk. Please ensure your application does not exceed a total of ten pages, including appendices. 

• Your CV (no longer than two sides of A4). 

• A short description of your proposed approach to the project, and an outline of your skills and experience that make you suitable for the role. Experience of working with people with lived experience of the asylum system, especially in working with peer researchers, is very welcome. 

• A breakdown of costs, including any day rates and anticipated additional costs that may be incurred. 

• A statement of commitment to stated costs and to complete the work outlined in the brief within the timeline stated, providing a clear and realistic timescale for activities and deliverables. 

• A statement of commitment to quality assurance. 

• An indication of any materials or other resources that will be needed from the Refugee Council. 

• Contact details for two previous clients who can vouch for the quality of your work.