UK: Britain’s newly elected Labour government is set to implement a significant shift in its approach to housing asylum seekers, moving away from the use of large military sites and centralized facilities in favor of a more dispersed accommodation strategy across the United Kingdom.
Under the new plan, dubbed “Operation Scatter,” the government will work closely with local councils to settle “asylum seekers” in various communities, utilizing a range of smaller-scale housing options. This marks a departure from the previous administration’s reliance on expansive ex-RAF bases and controversial facilities like the Bibby Stockholm barge.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has already taken steps to implement this new strategy, including the closure of the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset, which had housed up to 500 “asylum seekers”. The government cited potential cost savings of £20 million for the coming year as part of the rationale behind this decision.
The shift towards “dispersed accommodation” is expected to include the use of empty homes, former student housing, and other properties with self-catering facilities. This approach aims to distribute the responsibility for housing asylum seekers more equitably across different regions, reducing the pressure on services in areas that have previously hosted large numbers of migrants.
However, the new strategy faces challenges, including limited availability of suitable accommodation and potentially high costs due to soaring rental prices. The government may need to consider continued use of hotels in some cases to meet housing needs.
The move comes in response to criticism of conditions at larger sites, with legal action being taken against the Home Office by former residents of RAF Wethersfield, who alleged unlawful housing practices and poor living conditions.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, called for an urgent review of the asylum accommodation system, advocating for “partnerships led by local authorities to deliver asylum accommodation that is better value for money and helps refugees integrate into local communities.”
As part of this overhaul, the government is also addressing the backlog of asylum cases, with Cooper introducing measures to process thousands of pending applications left unresolved by the previous administration.
Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader and shadow “levelling up” secretary, announced details of the party’s asylum seeker housing strategy back in June. Rayner stated that under a Labour government every borough in the UK would be required to “accommodate their fair share of asylum seekers.”
This news comes on the back of riots and civil unrest across the United Kingdom following the murder of three young girls who attended a Taylor Swift dance lesson.
Tensions have continued to rise, leading to protesters and counter-protesters clashing in the streets, and sectarian counter-protesters have mobilized to attack citizens at random in groups.
The policy commitment to establishing equal distribution of migrants across Britain has received major criticism from the public and the opposition in government, with worries raised not only about rental and housing prices, but also about public safety in light of the country’s high tensions.
