US EditionLondon council considers legal action against Home Office over £5m asylum seeker bill
- Hillingdon Council is planning to take legal measures against the Home Office due to a £5 million funding gap for asylum seeker support in the London borough for 2024/25.
- The funding shortfall occurred because the borough accommodates around 3,000 asylum seekers—more than twice the national average—mostly housed in several hotels close to Heathrow Airport, and the council’s request for additional financial support was denied by the Home Office.
- The council is seeing increased homelessness including rough sleeping, supports about 93 asylum-seeker households, and council leader Ian Edwards is lobbying for greater Government support ahead of the June Spending Review.
- Mr Edwards emphasized that the issue is not a criticism of asylum seekers, who require assistance, but criticized the government for expecting local residents to shoulder the financial burden. Meanwhile, the Home Office stated it is working to streamline the asylum process and plans to eliminate the use of hotels by 2026.
- The dispute highlights ongoing strain on local services from national asylum policies and suggests a push for a fairer funding formula tied to regional impacts of housing asylum seekers.
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