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| 'Impending shortage' of asylum seeker homes | 'Impending shortage' of asylum seeker homes |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| There is an "impending shortage" of housing for asylum seekers in the UK, the home affairs committee has warned. | There is an "impending shortage" of housing for asylum seekers in the UK, the home affairs committee has warned. |
| The issue is being made worse by a lack of "fair and equal dispersal", with some areas taking hundreds of people and some taking none, its MPs said. | The issue is being made worse by a lack of "fair and equal dispersal", with some areas taking hundreds of people and some taking none, its MPs said. |
| They condemned an "appalling" episode where asylum seekers were told to wear wristbands, and an instance where their doors were all painted one colour. | They condemned an "appalling" episode where asylum seekers were told to wear wristbands, and an instance where their doors were all painted one colour. |
| The Home Office said it was committed to providing safe and secure housing. | The Home Office said it was committed to providing safe and secure housing. |
| "The dispersal system appears unfair, with whole swathes of the country never receiving a single asylum seeker," said committee chairman Keith Vaz. | "The dispersal system appears unfair, with whole swathes of the country never receiving a single asylum seeker," said committee chairman Keith Vaz. |
| "The majority are being moved into low-cost housing in urban areas such as Glasgow, Stoke, Cardiff and of course Middlesbrough, where the ratio is 1 asylum seeker per 137 people. | "The majority are being moved into low-cost housing in urban areas such as Glasgow, Stoke, Cardiff and of course Middlesbrough, where the ratio is 1 asylum seeker per 137 people. |
| "However, on the data we have received, local authorities in areas such as Maidenhead, Lincoln and Warwick have housed none." | "However, on the data we have received, local authorities in areas such as Maidenhead, Lincoln and Warwick have housed none." |
| Other areas listed in the report as having no-one in receipt of aid given to asylum seekers - known as Section 95 support - in the final quarter of 2015 included Cambridge, Cornwall, Midlothian and York. | Other areas listed in the report as having no-one in receipt of aid given to asylum seekers - known as Section 95 support - in the final quarter of 2015 included Cambridge, Cornwall, Midlothian and York. |
| Local authorities with few asylum seekers, or none, should be "actively encouraged by ministers to volunteer" to take some, the MPs said. | Local authorities with few asylum seekers, or none, should be "actively encouraged by ministers to volunteer" to take some, the MPs said. |
| How many asylum seekers live in your area? | How many asylum seekers live in your area? |
| Why do so many asylum seekers live in Middlesbrough? | |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| By Danny Shaw, BBC home affairs correspondent | By Danny Shaw, BBC home affairs correspondent |
| At present, 200 local authorities are part of a scheme that provides housing for asylum seekers. | At present, 200 local authorities are part of a scheme that provides housing for asylum seekers. |
| The three private firms that operate the programme - known as Compass - the Home Office, and the home affairs committee all agree that getting more councils on board is the key to easing the chronic accommodation shortage. It may well become a crisis if the number of asylum applicants continues to increase. | The three private firms that operate the programme - known as Compass - the Home Office, and the home affairs committee all agree that getting more councils on board is the key to easing the chronic accommodation shortage. It may well become a crisis if the number of asylum applicants continues to increase. |
| At 38,000 the rate is at its highest since 2004. Some councils would take part if the contractors could find enough suitable and affordable properties; in other areas, it may be the fear of a voter backlash which is putting off local politicians from agreeing to participate. | At 38,000 the rate is at its highest since 2004. Some councils would take part if the contractors could find enough suitable and affordable properties; in other areas, it may be the fear of a voter backlash which is putting off local politicians from agreeing to participate. |
| With the government committed to resettling 20,000 Syrians by 2020, as well as accommodating asylum seekers, ministers will have to find a solution - or face the prospect of housing more of them in two-star and three-star hotels. | With the government committed to resettling 20,000 Syrians by 2020, as well as accommodating asylum seekers, ministers will have to find a solution - or face the prospect of housing more of them in two-star and three-star hotels. |
| The committee said its findings "leave major questions to be answered" about the running of Compass - the name of the contract for providing asylum support services. | The committee said its findings "leave major questions to be answered" about the running of Compass - the name of the contract for providing asylum support services. |
| The main contractors involved are G4S, Clearsprings and Serco, and the committee said delivery "has been mostly unsatisfactory to date". | The main contractors involved are G4S, Clearsprings and Serco, and the committee said delivery "has been mostly unsatisfactory to date". |
| "G4S, Serco and Clearsprings receive millions of pounds of public money to house asylum seekers, and revelations in recent months have been alarming," Mr Vaz said. | "G4S, Serco and Clearsprings receive millions of pounds of public money to house asylum seekers, and revelations in recent months have been alarming," Mr Vaz said. |
| "The compulsory wearing of wrist bands and the infamous red doors demonstrate an unacceptable attitude towards vulnerable people. | "The compulsory wearing of wrist bands and the infamous red doors demonstrate an unacceptable attitude towards vulnerable people. |
| "The Home Office has failed to provide proper oversight and inspection, and must do better." | "The Home Office has failed to provide proper oversight and inspection, and must do better." |
| The Home Office said it was working with areas that had not taken part so far in asylum dispersal. | The Home Office said it was working with areas that had not taken part so far in asylum dispersal. |
| A spokesman said: "The Home Office has worked closely with our providers to improve property standards over the lifetime of the Compass contract. | A spokesman said: "The Home Office has worked closely with our providers to improve property standards over the lifetime of the Compass contract. |
| "Where a contractor is found to be falling short of these standards, we work with them to ensure issues are quickly addressed. When they are not, we can and do impose sanctions. | "Where a contractor is found to be falling short of these standards, we work with them to ensure issues are quickly addressed. When they are not, we can and do impose sanctions. |
| "All suppliers are meeting the contractual requirements to provide safe, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped accommodation in compliance with the Housing Act 2004 and the Decent Homes Standard." | "All suppliers are meeting the contractual requirements to provide safe, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped accommodation in compliance with the Housing Act 2004 and the Decent Homes Standard." |