Council to demand details of asylum seekers' housing
Durham County Council/LDRSA council will ask the government to disclose where asylum seekers are housed within its jurisdiction, despite safeguarding concerns raised by fellow councillors.
Durham County Council backed the motion, put forward by councillor Dawn Bellingham, the portfolio holder for communities and civic resilience at the Reform-led authority.
In the motion she called for the government to disclose data detailing how many asylum seekers would be housed in the county, where, and how long for - and to halt any new placements pending further consultation.
During the debate, Green councillor Jonathan Elmer said he had "huge concerns" about disclosing where people were living, citing the threat of attacks.
Deputy council leader Darren Grimes said a lack of information about Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) being used for asylum seekers in County Durham was causing resentment in communities.
"It is a terraced house here. It is a flat there. We don't know. They pop up like weeds," he said.
Putting forward the motion at Wednesday's meeting, Bellingham said the council had so far struggled to obtain any information from the Home Office.
"I have been in many meetings with Home Office representatives that will not provide us with any data that we have been asking for," she said.
Fear of attacks
Elmer said said he was concerned about the impact of disclosing such information, adding he was aware of a recent incident, reported to the police, involving an attack on a refugee's home.
"People found out where they lived - a gang of fellows with black hoods turned up, smashed all the windows, and put fireworks through their letterbox."
A Liberal Democrat amendment sought to ask for data to be provided to council officers, rather than councillors. Councillor Mark Wilkes said he was concerned about sensitive information potentially entering the public domain.
He said: "I don't believe we should pass a motion which can potentially hand over information which should never be handed over to the public domain.
"I don't actually believe it will be legal."
