Glasgow City Council has warned that it may cease its involvement in the distribution of asylum seekers. This warning was conveyed in a letter from Susan Aitken, the leader of the Council, to Home Secretary Angela Eagle, addressing the temporary suspension of the asylum seeker reception and distribution program. Aitken cautioned that this decision could heighten community tensions and undermine public support.
The City Council, which receives the highest number of asylum seekers, is requesting a dedicated, funded solution from the Home Office. Recent statistics indicate that Glasgow has hosted 4,075 asylum seekers since September 2024.
In Manchester, Andy Burnham, a member of the Labour Party, accused his colleagues in the Home Office of shifting the burden onto local authorities. This issue has raised alarm among many cities in the northwest of England.
Since taking office, the Labour government has been striving to expedite the resolution of the backlog of asylum claims. Under current policy, asylum seekers are allowed to remain in their accommodations for only 56 days before they must find alternative housing. As a result, many asylum seekers have begun to declare themselves homeless. After the 56-day period, the Home Office stops providing housing support for refugees, further worsening the homelessness crisis in Glasgow.
In her letter to the Home Secretary, the leader of Glasgow City Council reported that the city has allocated over £26.5 million to its homelessness budget. Aitken explained that this expenditure is “primarily driven by the additional costs imposed on us due to the significantly higher numbers of refugees now seeking housing in Glasgow.”
Aitken emphasized the high cost of accommodating refugees in small hotels in Glasgow, which can amount to £30,000 per year, compared to just £9,000 for temporary furnished apartments. She criticized the Labour Party’s decision to expedite the processing of asylum claims, arguing that it did not have widespread support from local governments. According to Aitken, the concerns expressed by local authorities have now come to fruition.
Aitken stated, “Many individuals received their decisions in other parts of the UK but traveled to Glasgow for accommodation. We believe this is partly due to differences in legislation that require us to house single male asylum seekers.”
The leader of Glasgow City Council has stated that the city is accommodating more than its fair share of asylum seekers. Many of these individuals arrive in Glasgow without housing options elsewhere in the UK, and the government needs to acknowledge the substantial costs associated with this situation. Aitken estimated that, based on current trends, Glasgow is projected to receive an additional 2,239 cases, which will further strain the overall homelessness system.
