Lisburn & Castlereagh seeks PM response to asylum seeker concerns

Council chamber heard concerns on deprived areas and caution against scapegoating asylum seekers.

A Northern Ireland council is to call on the Prime Minister to explain asylum seeker housing policy amid claims it is ‘targeting’ deprived areas.

But the move sparked a warning at Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council against the ‘scapegoating’ of asylum seekers in the wake of graffiti appearing in the city threatening that they will be ‘shot’.

Lisburn North DUP Alderman Paul Porter brought forward the proposal, with no elected members opposing the plan, to write to Keir Starmer as well as Mears Housing and the Home Office about the housing policy.

READ MORE: DUP ‘shocked at no policy review’ after Sandy Row meeting with asylum housing group

However, Ald. Porter was challenged in Chambers over the issue by Alliance Councillor Claire Kemp who said that “there are currently 23 asylum seekers living in all of Lisburn and Castlereagh. In a population of 150, 822 that amount to less than 0.01% of residents”.

Ald. Porter said: “I make this proposal over concerns raised in our communities. I propose that we write to the PM, Mears housing and the Home Office to ask for a review of this policy. If it is targeting deprived areas, why would no one want a review of the policy?

“It’s almost as if they want to be talking about other stuff than what is impacting our communities. And if we don’t speak up for them I don’t know who will.

“It can’t be a reason they are targeting deprived areas because they are cheap, if that is the reason, then it’s a disgrace. It’s not about politics, this is about both our communities.”

According to the Mears website, the ‘housing solutions company’ works with the Home Office to provide housing and support to asylum seekers who enter the UK.

Ald. Porter and South Belfast MLA Edwin Poots met with Mears officials in Sandy Row on August 22 amid Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch calling for Tory councils to launch more legal challenges over the use of hotels for asylum seekers. It comes after Epping Forest District Council was granted a temporary injunction by the High Court on Tuesday which blocks asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel in the Essex town. A number of NI councils have now been queried on whether they hold information to show change of use applications for hotels to accommodate asylum seekers.

Alderman Porter added: “I showed Mears their own documents which I believe proves that over 85% of their rental properties are in postcode areas of high deprivation. I asked them what they think their policy will do long term in areas that are already lacking in much needed housing and so many other issues.

“The areas that Mears has bottled them in to, when they get permanent status, they will want to remain in and rightly so, these are areas that already have limited stock (houses) and will have to deal with the impact of this policy.

“I asked them to review their policy, they said they would have to talk to the Home Office, they could not give a guarantee. They did say they were now looking for HMOs outside of Belfast City Council.

“I did say that there was a lot of misinformation out there, but when Mears and the Home Office won’t speak, sadly others will speak for them. We did urge them to be very public in regards to what they are doing, but sadly that was all in vain. I know Belfast looks after the registration of HMOs for some strange reason.

“I would now ask this council to urgently bring back a report on its HMO policy. And to let elected members know when a HMO is coming into the area.”

The proposal was seconded by independent councillor Gary Hynds.

He said: “It’s very easy for a lot of politicians around the country to dismiss this and say it’s ok it’s not a problem, but they are not going to be living in the areas most impacted, which is a fact.”

LCCC chief executive CEO David Burns responded: “I have no problem whatsoever bringing something back to committee, I think from an educational perspective as much as anything, I think it is timely for members to be aware of our policies around HMOs. Members may decide on a review thereafter.

“I think back in 2018, Belfast for the whole of NI has HMO registration based on the volume of applications they would get. I think we might get over a handful, we might have five or possibly six in our whole council area.

“I would probably ask the PM, Mears and the Home Office for their rationale rather than a review so that we don’t just get a ‘Dear John’ response.”

The Lagan Valley chamber was cautioned by Alliance not to “scapegoat” asylum seekers for the failures of the previous Tory Government.

Killultagh councillor, Claire Kemp said: “This is at least the third time Alderman Porter has raised this issue in this chamber. And I do genuinely remain perplexed as to why.

“He represents Lisburn South not South Belfast. As confirmed by the chief executive last week, there are currently 23 asylum seekers living in all of Lisburn and Castlereagh. In a population of 150, 822 that amount to less than 0.01% of residents.

“None of these individuals are housed in hotels in this council area nor are there any plans to move asylum seekers into Flush Park or any other locations where baseless rumours are circulating.”

She added: “Asylum seekers are legally seeking protection in this country, they are not illegal. Using such language only fuels racial tension and division. In my own DEA this has already resulted in horrible graffiti threatening asylum seekers ‘will be shot’.

“This narrative does not help our community, it sets us back. Nobody is defending the long term use of hotels for asylum seekers. It is a deeply flawed outcome for individuals and for families and reflects the failures of a previous Tory Government policy.

“Asylum seekers themselves are not responsible for this policy and they should not be scapegoated. We cannot lose our humanity in responding to those in need.

“It is agreed there must be significant reform on immigration policy underpinned by a long term sustainable strategy, this means faster processing times, intelligence led action against traffickers and the creation of safe and legal routes for those fleeing persecution.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.