The largest city councils in England and Scotland fear that Government plans to speed up asylum decisions will result in thousands of people facing homelessness.
The Government’s ‘Streamlined Asylum Process’ will see applications processed for 1,000 asylum seekers in Birmingham and 2,500 in Glasgow by the end of the year.
Birmingham City Council said the ‘unprecedented’ rate of processed applications would see three years of decisions made in just a few months.
The increased rate will ‘without doubt’ lead to a rise in homelessness in Birmingham and across the UK, the council said.
Costs of supporting people with housing will fall on councils, with Glasgow estimating a £50m financial impact.
Glasgow City Council said it anticipated increased use of costly B&Bs and hotels as temporary accommodation.
Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken said the Home Office ‘thinks closing hotels will convince voters it is delivering on its ugly rhetoric about getting tough on asylum – when all it is actually doing is moving people around like chess pieces.'
She added: ‘Out of sight, out of mind is now the entirety of its asylum policy – even at the risk of a humanitarian crisis in towns and cities across the UK.’
A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘The pressure on the asylum system has continued to grow, which is why we have taken immediate action to speed up processing times and cut costs for taxpayers.
‘To minimise the risk of homelessness, we encourage individuals to make their onward plans as soon as possible after receiving their decision, whether that is leaving the UK following a refusal, or taking steps to integrate in the UK following a grant.’
