Number of asylum seekers across region doubles in ten years

THE number of asylum seekers supported by councils across the West Midlands has more than doubled in ten years but still represents a small fraction of the population, new data reveals.

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Across Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country, a total of 7,011 people were living in refuges, hotels and temporary accommodation, awaiting a decision from the Home Office on whether they had a right to remain in the country, at the end of December 2024.

The biggest concentrations are in Birmingham, Sandwell and Wolverhampton. The total number of people involved represent less than 0.3% of the population but represent significant costs to the hosting council.

In previous years, Birmingham City Council has lobbied the Home Office to ‘spread the load’ more fairly across the country and to stop sending more asylum seekers to the city amid financial pressures.