Prime Minister Andy Burnham has insisted that all parts of the country must provide homes for asylum seekers, warning that more houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) will open in areas that have so far been spared.
Warning to southern England
Speaking to GB News, Mr Burnham said: "I do have to say we cannot have a situation where it's only the poorest communities in the country that receive all of the dispersal of refugees and asylum seekers. I do believe all parts of the country need to work, to play their part. It's a challenging issue."
His comments come as a warning to many areas in the South of England, with the prospect of more HMOs opening up in places that have avoided the chaos sparked by the asylum crisis.
Response to Piddington campaign
Asked about the campaign against asylum seeker housing in the Oxfordshire village of Piddington, Mr Burnham said: "I have begun to become aware of the campaign from Piddington, and I will listen to what people are saying and respond to the concerns that they are putting forward."
He added: "I don't know the issue yet in detail, but in some ways, as I understand it, it is about creating secure space and not have the HMO issues that you were talking about earlier. It's obviously going to be challenging, but I am prepared always to listen to people, to work with people and to pick up legitimate concerns, and I will address those concerns."
"We're working at it, we understand people's concerns, and I will look into the issues raised by the good people of Piddington," he said.
Regional disparities and record boat
The Home Office has admitted the North East and North West of England are housing a disproportionate number of asylum seekers. Service User Demand Plans have allocated 114,791 spaces for asylum seekers across the country, with 68,151 already housed and another 66,021 waiting for accommodation. The North East and North West have both surged past their targets but need to find additional homes for 2,000 people between them.
The West Midlands is expected to exceed its planned amount, with 10,944 supposed to be housed in the region. But 9,086 are already living there and 4,930 more are waiting.
Referring to pictures of a 15m-long dinghy carrying a record 230 migrants, Mr Burnham told GB News: "I know people will have been worried to see that image yesterday. It shows that the gangs are changing their tactics but so will we – we will now change our tactics and we will be relentless in chasing them down. I said that when I visited Dover just over a week ago and I meant it. And I was there to change the conversation."
