Two of the
UK’s leading homelessness charities have teamed up with the Government to host
a free conference sharing good practice in helping destitute and homeless EU
nationals return home.
The
conference is being hosted by Thames Reach and CRI in partnership with the Department
of Communities and Local Government and it is aimed at local authority
personnel from across England who specialise in homelessness and rough
sleeping.
It comes at
a time when the Government has released figures showing that for the first
time, more than half of London’s rough sleepers come from overseas.
Thames
Reach and CRI have now helped nearly 2,000 EU rough sleepers to return home,
linking them up with their family and housing and health services in their
homelands.
The conference
– Reconnections: Homelessness and EU
Nationals – is being held in central London on Monday April 16 at the
Victoria Park Plaza Hotel between 10.30am and 4pm at a venue provided by the
Victoria Bid Improvement District (BID). Book your place online at www.cri.org.uk/reconnections.
Places are limited.
Audrey
Mitchell, Thames Reach Director of Street and Hostel Services, said: “We can
end the tragedy of EU nationals living in squalor on our streets, with their
health deteriorating, by helping them to travel home to get the support they
need to get their lives on track. This conference showcases how and we hope to
see as many local authority staff there as possible so we can start to help the
most vulnerable on our streets.”
David Biddle, CRI Deputy Chief Executive, said: “Ensuring
that people in vulnerable, homeless and exploited situations, thousands of
miles from their country of origin, are given an opportunity to reconnect
safely with their families and friends at home, is the key priority. Effective
partnerships with local authorities, the police, the fire service and other
agencies, as well as relevant embassies, play a massive part in achieving
successful outcomes.”
Ruth Duston, Victoria Bid Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring and helping to
provide a location for this conference. At Victoria BID we are dedicated to
tackling the issue of rough sleeping which remains a major issue in Central
London and we work closely with Westminster City Council and the police as well
as providing services to support homeless and vulnerable people in our
community. We welcome the Reconnections initiative and urge local authorities
to dedicate sufficient time and resources to combating this very important
issue.”
