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🔍 Unpacking Reform UK's Statement on Asylum Accommodation in County Durham

Reform UK recently issued a statement claiming they have secured a moratorium on new asylum seeker accommodation in County Durham. It's a press release with serious implications. Here's a point-by-point breakdown of what was said — and what I’ve done to check the facts.

🔹 "Durham County Council stood alone in the North East as the only authority where procurement could still proceed."

This suggests every other North East council has formally blocked asylum accommodation. That’s a strong claim — and one I’m investigating.

✏️ What I’ve done:

  • Submitted an FOI to Durham County Council:

  • FOI request on WhatDoTheyKnow

  • Asking which properties have been procured, what objections were raised, and what authority the council has

🔎 Why it matters:

Councils don’t have unilateral powers to block asylum housing. The Home Office moved to a "full dispersal model" in 2022 to prevent uneven provision.

🔹 "Several authorities across the country [are] housing precisely zero asylum seekers."

This is likely factually true, but potentially misleading. It’s a long-standing issue that some areas have not taken part in dispersal schemes.

🔎 Why it matters:

The response to this inequity should be more consistent participation nationally, rather than reducing support where it already exists.

🔹 "Mounting anti-social behaviour incidents... painted a damning picture."

This suggests a link between asylum accommodation and antisocial behaviour.

✏️ What I’ve done:

  • Submitted an FOI to Durham Police:

  • FOI request on WhatDoTheyKnow

  • Asking for ASB stats near asylum housing and whether asylum seekers are involved

🔎 Why it matters:

Research does not support a link between asylum seeker accommodation and increased crime or antisocial behaviour.

🔹 "Mears Group... hoovering up properties in our most deprived communities... even when Durham County Council officers and Durham Police flagged unsuitable properties."

This implies that concerns raised by local authorities have been disregarded.

✏️ What I’ve done:

  • The above FOIs to the council and police also ask for records of objections and their outcomes

🔎 Why it matters:

This may clarify the actual decision-making process and roles of different bodies.

🔹 "Let’s turn County Durham into Britain’s overflow car park."

This language is concerning. It describes asylum seekers using metaphors associated with waste or excess.

🔎 Why it matters:

Such phrasing can shape public perception in ways that dehumanise vulnerable people.

🧾 A final note on framing

Above all, what concerns me most is that the entire framing of Reform UK's statement implies that asylum seekers are a problem to be managed, hidden, or pushed elsewhere. There is no recognition of their humanity, their experiences, or their rights.

Asylum seekers are not a burden. They are people — often fleeing unimaginable situations — who deserve dignity, safety, and compassion. Any policy discussion that ignores that basic fact is incomplete at best, and harmful at worst.

That’s why I’m doing this work: to bring some clarity, some accountability, and to push back against a narrative that treats people like logistics.

📰 BBC coverage offers early clarification

The BBC has already challenged several of the claims in Reform UK's statement:

  • The pause in property procurement was a Home Office decision, not a council-led moratorium (BBC report).
  • Mears Group confirmed that all property proposals are submitted to local authorities and police, countering the idea that concerns are ignored.
  • As of March 31, County Durham housed 445 asylum seekers, compared with over 1,200 in Newcastle, which has a smaller population. This challenges the framing of Durham being disproportionately burdened.

⚠️ Why this is concerning:

This confirmation from the BBC highlights the need to approach claims like those in Reform UK's statement with caution. While political statements often reflect particular viewpoints, it’s worrying when official facts are presented selectively or out of context. This risks distorting public understanding and fuelling tension.

It’s vital that discussions around asylum accommodation are rooted in transparency and accuracy — and always in recognition of the people at the heart of these stories.

📋 Summary of actions I've taken

  • ✏️ FOIs to:

  • Durham County Council: View FOI

  • Durham Police: View FOI

  • Home Office: submitted via MP, awaiting response

  • ✉️ Wrote to Mary Foy MP, asking her to raise these questions with the Home Office

📎 What’s next?

  • I’ll be publishing FOI responses, data, and sources on ReformWatch
  • A full breakdown will follow once all responses are in
  • DOIs and public logs will be added for transparency

Questions, corrections or thoughts welcome.

Thanks for reading — more soon. Neil