Recovery Guidance - Humanitarian Aspects
Non-resident UK Nationals returning from overseas emergencies
Background and Context
Events overseas can result in large numbers of UK nationals being evacuated to the UK. The most recent of these events, the evacuation of Lebanon in the summer of 2006, saw over 2,000 UK nationals arriving at a number of airports across England. While many had family and friends with whom they could stay, there was a need for initial reception arrangements to provide immediate support and, where necessary, health care and help with onward travel in the UK. Others needed support for longer term housing needs.
Policy and Guidance
England
Immediate reception arrangements are covered in the Humanitarian Assistance Centre Guidance
Longer-term housing needs are covered in the Displaced communities topic sheet.
Entitlement of non-resident UK nationals to health care follows the same principles as outlined in Foreign nationals.
For information on bringing pets into the UK and useful contact points, see: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm [External website]
Wales
No differences for Wales.
Scotland
No differences for Scotland.
Northern Ireland
UK nationals returning to Northern Ireland will normally do so through GB and will receive initial assistance at the port of entry. People travelling onward from GB or the Republic of Ireland, or arriving directly in Northern Ireland would receive assistance from the Health and Social Care Trusts in the first instance and from the Social Security Agency and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in the medium to long term in line with their normal procedures for displaced and homeless people.
In the event of large numbers of returning nationals requiring assistance, rest centre procedures as set out in A Guide to Evacuation in Northern Ireland would be relevant. The principles set out in the UK policy and guidance documents above, although the organisation delivering care may be different.
Roles and Responsibilities
Local and Regional
At a local level, the lead organisation for reception arrangements will be the Local Authority (for whichever entry point the evacuees arrive into in the UK), working in partnership with colleagues from Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) / Jobcentre Plus, the health sector, the voluntary sector and others. Local authorities will also lead on support for longer term housing requirements.
Local Authorities would therefore act as the main point of liaison to ensure that information on the needs of those returning is passed proactively to other responding agencies to ensure adequate reception arrangements are in place.
Lead Government Department
At a national level, Communities and Local Government will be responsible for co-ordinating nationwide reception arrangements through the Government Office Regional Resilience Teams.
The Department for Transport will be responsible, in consultation with other government departments, for identifying and arranging reception facilities with the operators of UK civil airports.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has responsibility for the evacuees before their arrival in the UK.
Other Government Involvement
The Regional Resilience Teams (RRTs) in the Government Offices will act as a liaison point between local responders and central government. They will cascade information coming from central government departments (such as passenger manifests, arrival destinations and times, etc) to the affected local authorities, emergency services and other interested agencies, as well as collating data gathered from local partners to inform the national picture. The RRTs can also support local responders by facilitating mutual aid at a regional level, where necessary, and by providing an entry point into central government departments, to raise issues which need to be resolved at a national level (eg. access to benefits, longer-term housing, etc).
The Department of Health will have a role in co-ordinating medical assistance for evacuees.
There would be a need for cross-government agreement at Ministerial level on the immigration status of those returning, as a number of services can normally only be provided to those people who are permanently resident in the UK.
The Department for Work and Pensions, together with Communities and Local Government and Department of Health, will have a role in seeking Ministerial approval to the waiving of the Habitual Residence Test to allow certain categories of evacuee access to benefits and social housing. It cannot be assumed that Ministers will agree to such measures.
Home Office will advise on immigration policy and process issues including where Ministerial approval is required.
It is very unlikely that Ministry of Defence facilities would be made available to house an influx of entitled nationals. Doing so would certainly interfere with MOD operational activity and undermine operational security. It should also be borne in mind that many MOD facilities present a hazard to members of the public. Armed Forces personnel might be made available to augment the support services to an influx of British Nationals, if civil capabilities prove inadequate, but this should be seen as a last resort.
Devolved Administrations
Wales
In Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government will provide appropriate support to the local responders where this is needed and will act as a liaison point with the UK Government. The Assembly's Health and Social Services Department, with a role similar to that of the Department of Health, will co-ordinate medical assistance to evacuees should this be needed.
Scotland
[TBC]
Northern Ireland
It is anticipated that many returning nationals arriving in Northern Ireland will have family members resident in Northern Ireland who could provide initial support. Health and Social Care Trusts would have responsibility for immediate welfare needs of returning nationals. Advice on benefits and appropriate financial support would be provided by the Social Security Agency, and agency of the Department for Social Development (DSD). Responsibility for medium and long-term housing of homeless people is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, which is a Non-Departmental Public Body of DSD.
In the event that large numbers of returning nationals arrive in Northern Ireland and do not have any local family support, arrangements for reception and temporary accommodation would be made involving the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, the Health and Social Services Boards, the Health and Social Care Trusts, district councils, the Social Security Agency and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
The Northern Ireland Office may also have a role in liaising with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other Whitehall departments on arrangements for repatriation of British nationals and immigration issues.
Funding
Local Authorities will be expected to fund their own reception arrangements.
Where requirements for the Habitual Residence Test are relaxed, this will allow evacuees access to mainstream benefits, including housing benefits.
Devolved Administrations
Wales
In Wales, financial assistance to local authorities, fire and police is provided through the Emergency Financial Assistance Scheme [External website]
Scotland
[TBC]
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, costs would normally lie with the individual organisations providing care to incoming nationals. Where exceptional costs are incurred, district councils may apply to Local Government Division of DOE under arrangements for funding emergency response and other organisations would need to apply to their funding department under the normal public expenditure processes.
Links to Other Topic Sheets
Case Studies (Incidents and Exercises)
Other Documents
List of Contacts
