CITY LEADER IN ACTION PLEDGE OVER ASYLUM

‘We will act if reform a failure’, says Brown

COUNCIL chiefs say they ‘will not hesitate’ to take action if the Government fails to follow through on a commitment to reform the asylum dispersal scheme.

Leaders at Stoke-on-trent City Council welcomed the Government’s announcement in April of a move to a ‘full dispersal’ system, meaning asylum seekers will be accommodated in every local authority area in the country.

The council had criticised the current system, which had resulted in Stoke-on-trent taking more than its ‘fair share’ of asylum seekers while most areas took none. The city council and other West Midlands authorities announced last year they would withdraw from the dispersal scheme – and were in the process of pursuing a judicial review on the issue before the Government’s announcement.

Council leader Abi Brown will give an update on the issue at Thursday’s full council meeting, in response to a question from Conservative councillor Shaun Bennett. In her written response, Mrs Brown says the Government had been consulting councils on how the new dispersal model would work, and that additional funding for areas hosting asylum seekers had also been announced.

She said: “We very much welcome the Government’s change of direction and look forward to working with them to deliver a fairer system that continues to support vulnerable people fleeing violence and oppression, recognises the immense value they bring to local communities but also ensures every local authority is playing their part and the burden does not fall on those who have always opened their arms to those less fortunate than ourselves.

“We will be monitoring the situation closely to see how the Government follows through on their commitment to ensure that the new system is fair and sustainable, collaborative, innovative and responsive to changing demands and needs. If necessary we will not hesitate to make clear our position and take action again to protect the interests of the city.”

Since the city and other West Midlands authorities announced their withdrawal in March 2021, Stokeon-trent has accepted no further requests from Home Office contractor Serco to procure properties in the city for asylum dispersal. As of December last year, there were 803 asylum seekers in dispersed accommodation in Stoke-on-trent, equating to 31 per 10,000 population, one of the highest ratios in the country.

But Mrs Brown also says Stokeon-trent has a ‘proud history of welcoming new communities, including refugees and asylum seekers’, citing the recent arrival of 54 people who have been relocated to the city under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, with more due in the coming weeks. Seven Afghan families have been welcomed to Stoke-on-trent following the Taliban’s takeover of their country, while five families have recently been supported under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons scheme.

Mr Bennett says he is generally content with the response he has received from Mrs Brown, and the way the asylum dispersal issue is being handled. He said: “I will be asking a follow-up question on what action the council can take if Stokeon-trent is still asked to take more than its fair share of asylum seekers under the new system.”