Council mulls legal action over placement of “disproportionate” number of asylum seekers in area

Luton Borough Council has said it is considering its legal options to address Home Office plans to accommodate a "disproportionate and unsustainable" number of asylum seekers in local hotels.

In a statement issued on Friday (25 November), the Leader of the council, Cllr Hazel Simmons, said the local authority was concerned about the safety and welfare of a cohort of asylum seekers that the Home Office had placed in Luton in recent weeks "without any advance warning".

Cllr Simmons added that the failure of the Home Office to respond to Luton's concerns had left the council with "no realistic option to defend the welfare and rights of both asylum seekers and our community other than legal action".

According to Cllr Simmons, the "extreme additional pressure" the placements were putting on public services that were already under strain was "unacceptable".

She also claimed that there was a disproportionately high number of asylum seekers being placed by the Home Office in Luton compared to other places across the country.

"We have spoken to the Home Office about this on numerous occasions, and while they admit this is true and say they understand the pressure this is putting on the local system, they continue to choose our town over other areas", Cllr Simmonds said.

"Luton represents just over three per cent of the East of England population yet is currently hosting 24 per cent of asylum seekers placed in hotels in the region. This does not include refugees and asylum seekers we are already hosting in other forms of accommodation."

Cllr Simmonds said that as around four-fifths of asylum seekers have their rights to citizenship recognised, it is "even more scandalous that people who could and want to be making a positive contribution to our society are forced into limbo in unsafe and overcrowded accommodation".

When asked about what type of legal action the council is considering, a council spokesperson said: "The council is currently considering various legal options to address the disproportion and unsustainable number of asylum seekers the Home Office seeks to place in Luton."

Adam Carey