Wrexham MP addresses concerns around asylum seekers
I receive communication from constituents about a wide range of issues.
One of the concerns expressed is around asylum seekers.
This is also a topic which sees substantial disinformation and misinformation across media and social media.
Language and terminology is really important and I want to address some of the common questions that I receive on this subject.
'Asylum' means 'protection given by a country to someone fleeing from persecution in their own country' (House of Commons Library).
A person seeking asylum is often awaiting refugee status.
If they do not qualify for refugee status, they may still be granted leave to remain in the UK for humanitarian or other reasons.
'Why are hotels and luxury apartments being used to house immigrants when there is a housing crisis in the UK?'
This is an example of a question I have received from a constituent recently.
It is worth noting that there are 3,253 asylum seekers in Wales and 107 in Wrexham according to figures as of March this year.
Where hotels are used, the accommodation is dormitory style, all facilities are closed and not available, food is provided but not choice of menu.
To be clear, there are no asylum hotels in Wrexham and those seeking asylum are in dispersed accommodation.
This means the Home Office gives contracts to the private sector not councils to find accommodation.
This accommodation is a flat or room in an HMO for example.
Asylum seekers do not have access to the welfare system or any benefits.
They receive a weekly subsistence payment rate of £49.18 per person for people living in self-catered accommodation or £8.86 a week for those in full-board accommodation like a hotel.
The weekly amount is credited to a pre-paid debit card which can use be to pay for goods or withdraw cash.
According to the House of Commons Library, in 2024, asylum seekers and refugees made up around 16% of immigrants to the UK.
It is important to understand that most people who migrate to the UK do so legally for work or family reasons.
There is a shortage of skilled workers in the UK, as we have seen in the NHS. Work is ongoing to address this.
The small boat crossings must be addressed along with the problems in the asylum system where the backlog is unacceptable.
The UK Government has recently made an agreement with France and this new pilot scheme will see small boat arrivals being detained and returned to France.
An equal number of migrants will then be able to come to the UK from France through a new legal route.
Those coming into the UK must be fully documented and go through a stringent security check as opposed to uncontrolled entry such as small boats.
In addition to the asylum process, the UK has operated various routes for people seeking humanitarian protection in the past.
The three recent examples of this are the Afghan, Syrian and Ukrainian resettlement programmes.
Like other countries, the UK follows the 1951 Refugee Convention that a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom and that there are minimum standards for how refugees should be treated including a right to housing, work and education.
As ever, if you have any queries or concerns or you have an issue that you would like me to try and assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01978 788854 or Andrew.Ranger.mp@parliament.uk
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