Tory-run council considers authorized motion in opposition to Labour authorities over asylum seeker prices | EUROtoday

A Tory-run council with the best focus of asylum seekers within the nation is contemplating authorized motion in opposition to the Labour authorities after it was refused a declare for more cash for housing.

Hillingdon accommodates the best proportion of asylum seekers – 94 in each 10,000 residents – within the UK due to the variety of lodges close to Heathrow Airport.

Some 3,010 persons are being supported by the Home Office, based on newest figures, however when their instances are determined, they’re evicted from six lodges within the borough and turn out to be the accountability of Hillingdon Council.

The native authority is paying for greater than 100 asylum seeker households in short-term lodging, whereas others are sleeping tough in tents within the space.

Council chief Ian Edwards stated the demand on council providers had left the authority with a £5.3m shortfall in 2024/25 – however this week, the Home Office refused a declare for the cash, claiming money already supplied below a grant was ample.

Speaking to The IndependentMr Edwards stated: “We are now in discussions with our lawyers, my expectation is that we will have to challenge that decision.

“This is not about attacking asylum seekers, they need the support… but the idea that the government can intensify the locating and housing of these people in our borough, and then expect our residents to pay for it is just breathtaking.”

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After coming to energy, Labour pledged to hurry up asylum seeker purposes in a bid to convey down the backlog and get monetary savings on lodges. Figures printed final week confirmed the variety of individuals ready for a call on an asylum utility within the UK had fallen 12 per cent in three months to 109,536 in March this 12 months.

However, this had led to the next variety of individuals needing council assist, equivalent to housing, stated Mr Edwards.

With a 3,000-household ready checklist for social housing within the borough, the native authority is shopping for up extra properties for short-term lodging in an try to satisfy demand.

Further pressure can also be felt by the council’s providers in schooling and well being.

Now, following the federal government’s refusal to make up final 12 months’s shortfall on supporting asylum seekers, bosses on the native authority are contemplating cuts to providers for this monetary 12 months.

Mr Edwards stated: “It is the expectation from the government that the council has staff sitting around waiting to deal with this increase in work.

“It is putting intolerable pressure on our employees. We just aren’t configured to deal with this enormous pressure let alone the cost, which is falling onto the shoulders of our residents.

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“Once they’re evicted and they come to our door, we pay from that moment on.

“The government needs to stop burdening a local authority with the cost of a national problem. This is a national issue. It should be funded nationally. It should come from government and they should be stumping up this cash for us.”

London Councils, an organisation representing London’s boroughs, informed the BBC extra funding was wanted, with the group estimating a funding shortfall of at the very least £500m this 12 months throughout its councils.

During a debate within the House of Lords final month, Labour Baroness Taylor stated the federal government was working to make sure a clean transition for asylum seekers leaving lodges after being granted refugee standing.

She stated: “We are working hard to make sure that asylum seekers get a decision quickly and that we help local authorities plan more effectively as we reduce the number of asylum seekers waiting for the decision.”

The burden on the council from supporting asylum seekers is strained additional by arrivals to Heathrow Airport from the Chagos Islands, which have been handed over to Mauritius as a part of a deal final week.

With some Chagossians immune to Mauritian management, it’s not but clear what number of extra will come. But final week, 129 British nationals arrived from the Chagos Islands within the London borough, stated Mr Edwards, and the council is supporting 93 households.

Mr Edwards stated: “The concern for the local authority is that the government, having made that deal, provide the right support to local authorities who will now have to manage the consequences of that decision.”

The Home Office stated it was working with councils to scale back its reliance on lodges and funding has been introduced to assist native authorities.

A spokesperson stated: “This government inherited a broken asylum system, with tens of thousands stuck in a backlog and claims not being processed, wasting millions in taxpayer money. We are immediately speeding up decisions and increasing returns so we can end the use of hotels, and save the taxpayer £4 billion by 2026.

“We remain committed to working closely with local authorities to work towards a fair and equitable spread of accommodation and provide the financial support required.”