Last week, I hosted the Shadow Justice Secretary in Hillingdon, where he heard about the impacts of asylum seekers in Hillingdon. The borough has the highest level of asylum seekers per capita and the burden for supporting them is falling on local residents.
My constituents are welcoming and want to support the most vulnerable, but this is not sustainable. We host 3,000 asylum seekers in hotels, many of whom will end up being presented at the council for onward support. This is putting immense pressure on the council’s budget. The council is facing a £5 million shortfall per annum and is forcing them to make savings across the board. The Government should do more to support us.
I have pushed Ministers on this issue repeatedly recently. One thing the Government could be doing is to pursue tougher sentences on human traffickers and those breaking the law. I put this to the Lord Chancellor during today’s session of parliamentary questions. I was disappointed by her response but I will continue to push Ministers until a fair funding settlement is reached.
