Can’t Stay. Can’t Go. Refused asylum seekers who cannot be returned   33 Most embassies will not ever write you a letter saying that you were there. They’re not going to give you a document. They very, very rarely will ever do that. That’s one of the reasons why we send witnesses with people. But we often find that the response from the Home Office is, well, try again, try again; you need up-to-date evidence that you’ve tried again recently. It just can become never ending, a never-ending journey. (Red Cross staff member, Leeds) Beyond that recognition of difficulty, staff feel the Home Office should support the process of gathering documents, which includes providing financial assistance. The staff member in Leeds felt the Home Office should readily provide money for transport to help people get to the embassy: There’s always issues getting transport…. I don’t understand that if the Home Office want people to be able to get documentation to return, why they can’t support, why they can’t pay for transport, why they can’t make it easier for people. (Red Cross staff member, Leeds) The staff member in Birmingham felt the Home Office should also be more involved in communicating with embassies around redocumentation. Keep people on support Four staff members felt that refused asylum seekers who cannot return should be on support. Two staff stressed that charities should not be relied on to provide a safety net: I feel they should be offered some kind of support and accommodation…. I could be idealistic and say there should be more charities offering accommodation and better night shelters and more destitution funds, but that then all comes back to society, not the Home Office. (Red Cross staff member, Glasgow 2) The staff member in Teesside felt that longerterm issues, such as mental and physical health problems, will end up costing the government a significant amount if this group continues to be ignored. One of the staff members in Glasgow felt that continuing asylum support would enable people to gather evidence: I think there needs to be a realistic understanding of how difficult it is for people to obtain documents – I don’t think what the Home Office expect reflects what people are able to do in terms of when someone is destitute. I think ultimately, if the Home Office is making a decision on evidence that people need to go and gather, then they should be supported while they’re gathering that evidence…. I don’t think people should be made destitute while they’re looking for evidence. There should be a continuation of asylum support to enable people to gather evidence. (Red Cross staff member, Glasgow 1) The staff member in Leeds stressed that keeping people on support means you know where they are when they do become removable: And if you are serious about removing them, providing them support keeps them on your radar. Then, in the future, if they are removable then they’ve got them on their radar; so surely that would be better. (Red Cross staff member, Leeds) Give them the right to work Three staff members felt this group should be given the right to work: Give them right to work because that will prevent, that will stop exploitation. It will stop people from absconding, it will help their mental health – so many benefits. It will help the country because they will pay tax…. I think it just makes so much sense, even just from an economic side of things. It’s not even the humanitarian side. (Red Cross staff member, Leicester) Having the right to work. If they could work, make money, how much different that would be for them; they’re actually contributing. (Red Cross staff member, Teesside) Raise awareness and provide training around statelessness Two staff members felt refused asylum seekers, legal practitioners and non-governmental organisations working with this group should be made more aware of the statelessness procedure “because I don’t think a lot of people know about the possibility of asking to become stateless” (Red Cross staff member, Leicester). It could be helpful if there was maybe more training provided to frontline workers to pick up on things, but also to legal providers to know or advise on those, if there’s potential to make a serious statelessness application, because