Council calls on government to refund asylum support costs

Cllr Edwards also called at council for the borough's three MPs to work with government to secure immediate funding for these costs to date. He asked that the responsibility for supporting and accommodating those evicted from hotels in the borough will, from now on, be equitably shared nationally.

Inadequate funding for the council's asylum and immigration responsibilities by the government is placing an unfair financial burden on residents, who are having to subsidise these additional costs as a result of increasing evictions from Home Office accommodation with the expectation that the council will provide support.

Cllr Edwards also asked that funding of port authorities like Hillingdon, with Heathrow Airport, is commensurate with the additional responsibilities they undertake.

Hillingdon has the highest number of asylum seekers housed in hotels or dispersed accommodation of any local authority in London - more than four and half times the London average - and potentially the highest nationally. 

The council is already paying £5 million annually to support individuals evicted from hotels by the Home Office - a debt now totalling in excess of £16 million which we continue to pursue. This is on top of the expected annual cost to the council of £1.2 million with the significant number of Chagossian families arriving via Heathrow without onward travel plans - against government advice - and seeking housing support.  

Cllr Edwards said: "The government's failure to understand the impact of national policy on our borough cannot continue. It is unacceptable, unfair and unreasonable to continue to expect that the cost incurred from this national responsibility should be met by our taxpayers alone. This should be funded centrally and our residents protected, rather than passing the buck and expecting them to foot the bill.

"We are deeply concerned by the government's commitment to evict into this borough more than 2,300 asylum seekers presently housed in our hotels by the end of the present Parliament. This will undoubtedly exacerbate the situation and, without meaningful change, will mean our residents continue to carry the grossly disproportionate burden of supporting former asylum seekers evicted from hotels as required by law.

"The council is proud of upholding its lawful requirements in supporting asylum seekers and providing safe sanctuary. However, the present inadequate funding and unwillingness by the government to address these pressures cannot go on."

Cllr Jonathan Bianco, Hillingdon Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Property, added: "The very serious issue of government underfunding of the asylum pressures our borough is facing have been forced upon us as result of national policy.

"To put these costs into perspective, £5 million is the cost of our library and cultural services for a year, but we're being forced to spend that amount annually to foot this bill. The basic principle is advocating for our residents and ensuring our communities are properly supported. It is our duty to continue to work to achieve this."