Asylum Dispersal Scheme: Stoke-on-Trent

Opened the debate

The city of Stoke-on-Trent has a high ratio of asylum seekers per population, with one in every 250 people being an asylum seeker. The cluster limit ratio is also very high at 79%, compared to 29% in Birmingham. Stoke-on-Trent will face further strain as it is set to receive around 1,760 more asylum seekers under Operation Oak, potentially pushing the city beyond its one-in-200 limit. Some wards are already exceeding this limit with ratios as high as one in 44 and one in 30.

Government Response

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship for the first time, Ms Bardell. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent North (Jonathan Gullis) for securing this debate on asylum dispersal in Stoke-on-Trent. Our United Kingdom has a proud record of helping people facing persecution, oppression and tyranny, standing by our moral and legal obligations to help innocent civilians fleeing cruelty around the world. The pandemic has had a significant impact on the system of supported asylum accommodation run by the Home Office, leading to a 30% increase in demand for accommodation during the pandemic, with more than 60,000 asylum seekers currently being provided with accommodation while their claims are considered. This includes using contingency accommodation like hotels and Ministry of Defence sites. We have consistently met our statutory obligations to destitute asylum seekers and we aim to reduce reliance on such accommodation by procuring more housing. The Government will focus on working with local authorities in the UK to move towards a more equitable dispersal of asylum seekers, aiming for areas like Stoke-on-Trent to take a fairer share as the system reforms. Local authorities are encouraged to contribute their share and increase the number of areas accommodating and supporting people seeking asylum protection. The Government demand the highest standards from contractors and their accommodation, ensuring properties comply with decent homes standard and relevant national or local housing legislation. We have worked closely with providers to improve property standards over time, conducting inspections regularly. When issues are raised, they are addressed quickly; only 17 out of 3,300 inspected properties had defects requiring immediate action in the last year. During the pandemic, hotel use has been a necessary contingency option but not ideal for long-term solutions. We believe that the hotel and contingency accommodation we provide is of good quality, meeting all public health guidance and usual contracted standards. The root issue in Stoke-on-Trent lies with our broken asylum system, which is expensive and has lost public trust. It is vital to protect genuine refugees while deterring illegal entry into the UK through expedited removals for those without legitimate claims. Our new plan for immigration aims to increase fairness and efficacy of the system by protecting those who genuinely need asylum support while breaking the business model of people-smuggling networks, ensuring safer lives for those at risk from dangerous and unnecessary sea crossings.