An Evaluation of Initiatives to Enhance the Move on Process
About the study
The Home Office has commissioned the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and RSM to carry out an independent evaluation of the initiatives to enhance the move on process.
The initiatives include:
- A temporary extension to the support period from 28 days to 56 days
- Introduction of Asylum Move On Liaison Officers (AMLOs)
- Additional move on grant funding for select local authorities.
The evaluation, running from February to August 2025, will explore these initiatives introduced to support the move on period and their implementation. The evaluation will also gather stakeholder perceptions on early outcomes and effectiveness of these initiatives, and capture service users’ experiences of the move on process.
The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) have also introduced a digital immigration system and rolled out the use of digital visas (eVisas) to replace physical documentation. The evaluation will also assess the early impacts that eVisa rollout is having on the move on period and the interaction with the above initiatives
Who is carrying out the research?
This research is being carried out by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and RSM.
NatCen is Britain’s largest social research organisation. We have delivered research for many government, regulatory and public bodies, and have expertise in research that involves consulting the public to inform strategic decision-making in policy and practice. We are a non-profit organisation, independent of government departments and political parties.
RSM is a global firm providing independent consultancy and evaluation services to UK public sector clients.
What will taking part involve?
We will be conducting research with a wide range of individuals across different contexts. This includes an online survey with AMLOs, an online survey and focus groups with local authorities, local area case studies (which will do deeper dives in local areas, capturing local authority, support staff and service user perspectives), and wider stakeholder interviews. You may be invited to take part in more than one research activity however you can decide how many and which ones you want to take part in.
The key topics which we are interested in exploring with you include:
- Your role in, and experiences with, the move on process
- Any experiences of set-up, implementation and/or delivery of the temporary initiatives to support the move on process
- Any perceived impacts of the move on initiatives in scope for this evaluation
- What has worked well and less well with the temporary initiatives to support the move on process, and what lessons can be learned from how they have been implemented.
Why take part?
The temporary initiatives that have been introduced to the move on process aim to provide further support to individuals granted leave to remain and to local authorities that are responsible for onward support on these individuals. This research study aims to evaluate the early perceived impacts of the temporary initiatives and the implementation process to inform future decisions.
Participating in this research is entirely voluntary. You do not have to take part if you do not want to. If you do agree to participate, it is up to you how much or how little you contribute. All information you provide will be anonymised.
If you decide not to take part, it will have no negative impact on your role or working relationship with the Home Office or any other organisations involved in the research.
Unfortunately, it may not be possible to speak to everyone who would like to take part.
What will happen to any information I give?
We will treat all information confidentially and all data will be transferred and stored securely in accordance with the GDPR.
The data collected will be used for research purposes only, and the information you provide will be used to produce a range of research outputs for the Home Office and may include a published report. We may use quotes of what you have said but your views will not be attributed to you by name or by any other identifying characteristic. Although NatCen will strive to ensure confidentiality, it may be possible for individuals directly involved in the evaluation to know your identity and / or local authority / area from your responses. For interviews and focus groups the research team will discuss this with you and ensure that you are able to review your contribution at the end of the discussion if necessary.
We will not share what you say with anyone outside our team of researchers, unless you say something that makes us think you or someone else might be at risk of serious harm and is identifiable.
You will be able to withdraw your interview contribution for up to two weeks after your participation. Please note that responses cannot be withdrawn after completion of the survey or group discussion. In surveys, we will not ask for names or other identifying information which means that we cannot trace and remove an individual’s responses. Similarly, responses cannot be withdrawn after the completion of a group discussion because we will not be able to identify individuals from the recordings.
Privacy notice
You can read the privacy notice for the study here. This document outlines the purpose of data collection as well as how personal data will be processed, used, stored and deleted for the purpose of the research.
Contact us
If you require further information, please contact the NatCen team at MoveOnEvaluation@natcen.ac.uk or by calling 0808 281 0308.