‘Politics playing part in housing asylum seekers’

THE Government could be deliberately placing asylum seekers in opposition-run areas like Birmingham, a leading police figure has claimed.

West Midlands Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Waheed Saleem said he was worried the Government could be treating areas differently based on their political leadership.

He was speaking after it was revealed the Government had dropped plans to place asylum seekers in Stoke-on-Trent earlier this year after objections from the Tory-led coalition council.

But 241 asylum seekers were placed into a Birmingham city centre hotel with less than a week’s notice in May, despite objections from Labour’s city council leader Ian Ward.

The move was questioned by Mr Saleem, who said: “Birmingham is a proud city of sanctuary that has welcomed people from across the globe for generations and rightly continues to welcome those fleeing conflicts abroad.

“It is imperative, though, that there is proper support in place for services when cities host new arrivals and I am worried that the Government appears to be potentially treating different areas differently based on their political leadership. If that is found to be the case it is extremely worrying indeed.”

The Home Office said accommodation providers are responsible for identifying suitable temporary accommodation in consultation with local authorities.

It claimed authorities were made aware that the Government “would have to procure hotel contingency across the United Kingdom to meet the challenges we faced during the coronavirus pandemic”.

The Home Office says all asylum seekers have been given advice around social distancing, and added it was “grateful for the assistance of local authorities and will continue to work with them as we now review these measures and return to preCovid policy implementation of asylum policy”.

Stoke’s Conservative council leader, Abi Brown, said in a statement: “Earlier this year, at the height of the coronavirus outbreak, we were informed that a considerable number of asylum seekers were to be placed in the city, without prior consultation.

“The council and the city’s MPs expressed serious concerns about this, about the lack of forward planning and consideration for their needs and of the potential impact on the availability of services to support them, given the great strain on resources caused by the coronavirus.

“Stoke-on-Trent is a dispersal area, and some of our wards already support a number of people as they seek asylum. “Our concerns were listened to at the 11th hour, but we were not informed of any further plans or locations to house and support the asylum seekers elsewhere.”

I am worried that the Government appears to be potentially treating different areas differently based on their political leadership West Midlands Police Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Waheed Saleem