Refugees
Spending Review must meet costs of refugee resettlement
Local government has cautiously welcomed the Government’s commitment to continue resettling refugees after a flagship scheme ends next year.
Brokenshire announces new integration measures
Communities secretary James Brokenshire has announced new measures to promote integration as the UK moves closer to life outside of the EU.
Greater Manchester warns Government over asylum contracts
Greater Manchester has vowed to ‘hold the Government to account’ over the number of asylum seekers the region accommodates.
Government: Population 'most important cost driver'
Population will be ‘by far the most important cost driver’ for the new foundation formula, the Government has said.
London leaders call for 'proper' debate on funding
Central Government needs to have a ‘proper conversation’ on public sector funding and put councils on a sustainable footing for the future, London Councils chair, Cllr Peter John, has told The MJ.
Burnham leads revolt over 'mounting chaos' in asylum dispersal system
Critics have claimed the Government’s policy on asylum seekers is ‘entirely driven by cost considerations’.
Glasgow warns of 'humanitarian crisis' over Serco contract
Glasgow faces a ‘humanitarian crisis’ if plans to evict up to 300 asylum seekers without warning go ahead, local politicians have warned.
Council calls for asylum review
Portsmouth City Council’s leader, Cllr Gerald Vernon Jackson, has urged a review of the system for local authorities dealing with unaccompanied children seeking asylum.
Buckinghamshire gets second inadequate Ofsted rating
Buckinghamshire CC’s children’s services have again been judged inadequate by Ofsted after inspectors concluded progress in recent years had been ‘inconsistent and too slow’.
Council ‘struggling’ to resettle refugees
A Welsh authority is struggling to rehouse Syrian refugees because of a shortage of suitable housing.
Government urges councils to share asylum burden
The Government has urged councils to share the burden of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) despite offering no clarity of funding in return.
Minister in talks to place more ‘Dubs children’ in care of UK authorities
Immigration minister Brandon Lewis travelled to Greece and Italy this week to discuss placing more ‘Dubs children’ in the care of British local authorities.
Number of Dubs scheme children to rise
The total number of children resettled under the Dubs scheme by councils will rise to 480, the Home Office has confirmed.
Asylum seekers shunted to poorest council areas
Asylum seekers are being housed for £11 each per night under Whitehall’s ‘incredibly parsimonious’ system, leaving councils with little choice over where they are placed, a key sector figure has warned.
Assessment timeframe ‘not possible’
Whitehall cannot fully assess the success of local government’s role in resettling Syrian refugees until next year, officials have warned.
Government commits to review councils' refugee capacity
The Government has committed to publishing ‘regular updates’ on the number of child refugees resettled in the UK as questions remain over councils’ capacity to support them.
MPs call for government to publish fresh asylum data
Ministers should publish fresh data on councils’ ability to take unaccompanied asylum-seeking children before ditching the Dubs Amendment, MPs have warned.
Specialist needs migrant children ‘can leave councils with £90k gap’
Councils can face a funding gap of up to £90,000 for unaccompanied child migrants with specialist needs, town halls have warned.
Authorities seek renewed support for child refugees
Town halls have urged ministers to re-design government support for asylum-seeking children following the Home Office’s surprise decision to drop the Dubs Amendment.
Fostering agencies accused of profiteering
Children’s services directors have accused fostering agencies of ‘direct profiteering’ from the humanitarian crisis over unaccompanied asylum seekers.