London council contemplates legal action against Home Office over cost of asylum seeker support
The London Borough of Hillingdon has confirmed that it is considering legal action against the Home Office over the cost of supporting asylum seekers without additional Government funding.
An average of 3,000 asylum seekers are estimated to be housed in the borough at any one time - more than double the national threshold.
Hillingdon said it is seeing hundreds evicted on to the streets every month, whom it then has to take responsibility for by offering assistance or help with finding suitable accommodation.
The cost of this duty is reported to have resulted in an estimated £5m shortfall in 2024/25 and £11.3m in the five years ending 31 March 2025.
Council leader Ian Edwards last week told the Standard that officers have been asked to look at potential legal avenues if funding is not increased.
He said: “Our finances are being stretched to unsustainable levels. We have twice the number of asylum seekers in our borough as elsewhere in country. Much of this because of our proximity to Heathrow airport and we are a port authority.”
“We are just asking for a fair funding settlement. This is not a dig at the Labour Government. We are a Conservative administration, but we had problems with this under the last government and we had discussions with them then. But it has never been fixed.”
Hillingdon Council has subsequently confirmed that its officers have been reviewing legal options, saying that “the Leader of the Council has asked council officers to explore the possibility of a legal challenge over the government’s insistence that the current funding it provides for our significant and ongoing asylum and immigration responsibilities is adequate.
“The situation is unfair, unacceptable and is, in effect, saying that Hillingdon taxpayers should shoulder the burden of what is a national issue. This should be funded centrally rather than passing the buck and expecting our residents to foot the bill putting intolerable pressure on the council's finances.
“The council has a strong sense of community and is proud of its work in welcoming asylum seekers and providing safe sanctuary in line with our statutory duties. But we cannot continue to sustain such high numbers, evicted from hotels by the Home Office, without the funding to meet the full costs of providing this support.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “This government inherited a broken asylum system, with tens of thousands stuck in a backlog and claims not being processed, wasting millions in taxpayer money.
“We are immediately speeding up decisions and increasing returns so we can end the use of hotels, and save the taxpayer £4 billion by 2026.
“We remain committed to working closely with local authorities to work towards a fair and equitable spread of accommodation and provide the financial support required.”
Harry Rodd
