Row over asylum seeker numbers settled as official figures are revealed

Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

A row between councillors over the number of asylum seekers being accommodated in a Welsh county has been settled by official Home Office figures.

Official Home Office figures show five asylum seekers receiving support were registered in Powys at the end of June – the third-lowest number of any council area in Wales.

The figures emerged after Conservative councillor Pete Lewington challenged Labour cabinet member Cllr Matthew Dorrance over the number of asylum seekers in the county and sought assurances about any future dispersal placements.

Only Monmouthshire, with one, and Ceredigion, with none, recorded fewer people receiving asylum support.

Four of the five people recorded in Powys are a family being housed in the south of the county in accommodation provided through the Home Office’s contractor, Clearsprings Ready Homes.

The fifth person is recorded as receiving subsistence support only.

The figures form part of the Home Office’s latest immigration statistics, published on August 27, which provide a breakdown of asylum seekers receiving support by local authority.

Across the UK, 93,293 people were receiving asylum support at the end of June, down 12% compared with a year earlier. Of those, 73,068 were in non-hotel accommodation and 4,204 were receiving subsistence support only.

Cllr Lewington, who represents Newtown West, had sought clarification after Labour cabinet member Cllr Matthew Dorrance previously said four asylum seekers were living in Powys in accommodation provided by Clearsprings.

He said that appeared to contradict an earlier briefing note circulated to councillors which referred to “five other asylum seekers” living in the county.

Cllr Lewington also asked for regular updates about any future asylum dispersal placements.

He said: “I understand that council officers meet monthly with Clearsprings and at these meetings officers are able to check whether there are any plans for asylum dispersal in Powys.

“Consequently, would the deputy leader commit to providing a monthly update on whether any asylum dispersal placements are expected in the county?”

Responding, Cllr Dorrance pointed to the Home Office figures and said his previous comments had been correct.

He said: “There is a family of four placed by the Home Office agent in the south of the county.

“In case you are not aware, this information is in the public domain and, for ease of reference, I attach a screenshot of the latest data.”

Dispersal

Cllr Dorrance confirmed council officers held regular meetings with the Home Office contractor but said their contents were confidential.

He added: “Control for asylum dispersal across the UK rests with the Home Office, as you know.

“I hope this information will enable you to reassure residents of the current position in Powys in respect of asylum dispersal, which is in much lower numbers than many reports would suggest.”

The Home Office figures show Cardiff had by far the largest number of supported asylum seekers among Welsh local authorities at the end of June, followed by Swansea and Newport.

The totals for each Welsh council area were:

Cardiff – 1,313
Swansea – 618
Newport – 306
Rhondda Cynon Taf – 188
Wrexham – 117
Gwynedd – 91
Caerphilly – 84
Flintshire – 78
Denbighshire – 66
Neath Port Talbot – 64
Carmarthenshire – 60
Merthyr Tydfil – 54
Blaenau Gwent – 42
Bridgend – 41
Ynys Môn – 26
Conwy – 22
Vale of Glamorgan – 21
Pembrokeshire – 16
Torfaen – 10
Powys – 5
Monmouthshire – 1
Ceredigion – 0.

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