Coronavirus lockdown: charities raise alarm as thousands face poverty

Boris Johnson refuses to support immigrants who have lost jobs and have no recourse to public funds

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Charities providing emergency food supplies to people with a limited immigration status known as “no recourse to public funds” have expressed concern at the prime minister’s refusal to offer support to a group pushed into destitution by the lockdown.

Hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the UK have an immigration status that allows them to work here but prevents them from accessing most benefits should they become unemployed. Many have lost their jobs because of the Covid-19 pandemic and are struggling to feed their families and pay rent; many face losing their homes once restrictions on evictions are lifted.

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