The UK government has paused plans to move more asylum seekers into a housing estate in Stoke Heath, Shropshire, following a backlash from residents and intervention by local MPs. The proposal to house migrants on a new-build development in the village sparked anger after locals argued the homes should be made available to local people instead.
Conservative MP Mark Pritchard, who represents The Wrekin, raised the issue in the House of Commons in June. He confirmed that ministers are now reviewing the scheme. According to Pritchard, the asylum seekers who were already in place have been relocated, and currently there are no asylum seekers in Stoke Heath.
Community Pressure Leads to Pause
Speaking to GB News, Pritchard said: "As a result of my pressure and the pressure of the local parish council and credit to them and local residents, is that the current arrangements that will allow more asylum seekers over the next few days has been put on hold." He added that a senior Home Office official had assured him the scheme is being reviewed by Home Office ministers.
The Stoke Heath development reportedly predates new Home Office guidance issued by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, which advises against housing asylum seekers in new-build properties where doing so could increase community tensions. Residents had discovered that 21 properties on the development had been acquired by outsourcing company Serco for use as asylum accommodation.
Labour's Wider Asylum Plans
Labour has pledged to end the use of asylum hotels before the next General Election, instead accommodating asylum seekers in the community and at former military sites. Earlier this week, the Home Office announced that asylum seekers who begin earning while their claims are being processed will be required to contribute up to £10,000 towards the cost of their accommodation and support.
Channel Crossings Decline
Separate Home Office figures show a significant drop in Channel crossings during the first half of the year. A total of 11,884 people made the crossing between January and the end of June — 41 percent lower than the 19,982 recorded during the same period in 2025, and 12 percent below the 13,489 arrivals in the first six months of 2024.
In April, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood agreed a three-year £662 million deal with France to fund beach patrols aimed at reducing Channel crossings. She is also seeking to overhaul the asylum system through reforms intended to deter illegal crossings and make it easier to remove people with no right to remain, including proposals to make refugee status temporary.
On Wednesday, the National Crime Agency said boats destined for people-smuggling gangs operating across the Channel had been seized at the Bulgarian border as part of efforts to disrupt the criminal supply chain.
