Migrants given houses in 81% of council areas

ASYLUM seekers have been given homes in 81% of council areas, a Home Office official has admitted.

- By Michael Knowles Home Affairs Editor

More migrants are being moved across the country to ease the burden on local authorities crippled by a lack of housing, overwhelmed health services and growing community frustrations.

Joanna Rowland, director general of customer services at the Home Office, told MPs the number of council areas with asylum accommodation has increased over the past year from 70% to 81%.

Ministers are under intense pressure to move migrants out of hotel rooms because it is costing £4.7billion a year — the equivalent to the taxes paid by 582,000 people.

Fears are likely to intensify that more areas could be hit by Britain's asylum accommodation crisis.

Ms Rowland told the Home Affairs Select Committee: “One of the things we need to guard against is uncontrolled levels of dispersed accommodation.

“Another priority for the Government is levelling up the allocation of dispersed accommodation across local authorities.

Safeguarding