UK government under fire for failing to help Scottish councils deal with ‘unprecedented pressures’ caused by asylum policy

A view from Queen's Park across the city of Glasgow. Picture: Jane Barlow

The UK government has been criticised for failing to “step up” and help struggling Scottish councils deal with “unprecedented pressures” caused by a huge spike in the number of asylum seekers requiring support.

Migration Minister Emma Roddick accused the Tory administration at Westminster of a “disappointing” lack of action to mitigate the impact of its policies, while senior SNP councillor Christina Cannon said Glasgow’s pleas for assistance had fallen on deaf ears.

The Home Office has been facing calls to intervene with additional financial support since introducing a new streamlined system for dealing with asylum applications last year in order to deal with a large backlog of cases, which have since fallen from 88,440 to 3,902.

When an asylum seeker is given approval to remain in the UK, they have 28 days to leave special accommodation managed for the government by Mears, and they can ask a local council for help under homelessness laws.

Since the change last summer, Glasgow City Council has reported a surge in the number of asylum seekers presenting, from a monthly average of fewer than 60 in the first half of last year, to 111 in August, 156 in September, and 176 in October.

In a separate issue, Edinburgh City Council has witnessed a “spike” in unaccompanied children of asylum seekers asking for help from services, with seven youngsters turning up unexpectedly in one week recently.

Local authority officials said many of the accounts from the children were “similar”, giving the impression they may be “organised”.

Previously, up to five under-18s were thought to arrive in Scotland each month, some of whom may have been trafficked.

The vast majority of asylum seekers receiving local authority support in Scotland are in Glasgow, with the city being the main asylum dispersal location in the country.

It was home to 4,520 supported asylum seekers last year, or almost 89 per cent of the total in Scotland. The proportion is reported to be higher than any other city in the UK.

The increases are exacerbating existing pressures on housing services and local authority budgets.

The UK government said it provides support in various ways, but ultimately powers over housing and homelessness are devolved to Holyrood.

However, Ms Roddick said: “The Scottish Government is committed to supporting those fleeing trauma and violence, providing them with safety and security and helping them and their families integrate into communities.