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MEETING TO BE HELD ON 15 DECEMBER 2000 AT BLACKPOOL
REPORT OF THE CO-ORDINATOR
1. Matter for Consideration:
The current position concerning provision for asylum seekers in the Region.
2. Introduction:
The is the latest update on the above issue, and an officer from the North West Consortium will again be present at the meeting for a verbal update to supplement this report.
3. Information:
3.1. On 21 November, Manchester City Council signed a contract with the Home Office to make up to 1500 properties available to accommodate asylum seekers in the region over the next five years. Following a year of negotiations the contract was signed on behalf of the consortium of 11 North West councils, representing all the Greater Manchester authorities and Blackburn with Darwen; it is the fifth public sector contract to be signed. The contract assures council chiefs that the scheme will be self financing, thus allaying fears that local councils would have had to subsidise the programme out of local authority funds. As a result of the deal, councils will now be able to bring back into use properties that have stood empty for a long time. Local councils are making plans to identify a range of public and private sector housing stock, as well as working with Housing Associations. Over the next 18 months councils within the consortium will begin to make properties available to the Home Office up to the maximum of 1500 agreed for the area. However councils continue to be very concerned about the quality and appropriateness of accommodation that the Home Office is using in the private sector, the vast majority being of a very poor quality - even uninhabitable and in areas that are not at all acceptable. Discussions are continuing between the consortium and the Home Office about this matter.
3.2. The position in the West side of the North West Consortium - covering the Mersey Region, Blackpool, Cheshire and Cumbria - is that their local authorities have ceased to accept asylum seekers following the decision in September 2000. As members may be aware this decision was due to local authorities' concern that their costs were not being covered by the Home Office. This was due both to debts accrued because of accommodation provided for asylum seekers before official dispersal arrangements came into effect in April this year, and also because of accommodation set aside since and not required subsequently, due to non receipt of expected asylum seekers. However, though contracts are being entered into on an individual basis between Liverpool City Council and the Home Office, the other authorities are not accepting any more asylum seekers for the time being. There are currently some 2000 asylum seekers in the Mersey region mostly placed in the private sector. The Greenbank Reception Centre is taking in asylum seekers from across the region from Cheshire to Cumbria and can house up to 156 at any time and from there they are subsequently dispersed. Concerns remain about the quality of accommodation available to asylum seekers in the private sector.
3.3. The Home Office is now aiming to give asylum seekers decisions on their applications for asylum within six months; successful applicants will then be able to leave their allocated properties for more settled homes. Once properties become vacant the Home Office will disperse new asylum seekers to them in consultation with council officials. At the moment the Home Office is dispersing new claimants on a no-choice basis. About 6000 fresh asylum claims are made in the UK each month. As well as providing for their accommodation related needs, councils will also assist asylum seekers with registration with local GPs and other health services, find school places and access voluntary sector support groups.
4. Recommendation:
Members are asked to note the above report.
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