Rochdale MP Warns of Asylum Seeker Housing Crisis

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk has criticised the Government for ignoring his repeated warnings over asylum seeker housing after a BBC report revealed that the system is "in crisis."

According to Radio 4's Today Programme, the private companies responsible for dispersing asylum seekers in the UK are "on the brink of collapse" due to a severe lack of available housing.

The revelation comes after a Home Affairs Select Committee report criticised council areas which refused to take in asylum seekers, while towns like Rochdale have housed more than 1,000.

In 2012 the Home Office awarded companies G4S, Serco and Clearsprings contracts to find housing for asylum seekers. All three companies say they are struggling to find new houses because some local authorities, especially in more affluent areas, refuse to accept any asylum seekers.

Mr Danczuk said:

"This is a sensitive topic that many would prefer to avoid altogether, but I have refused to stay quiet as Rochdale does so much while Tory shires in the South do nothing.

"The current system is not sustainable. According to the latest figures one in every 204 Rochdale residents is an asylum seeker.

"If the government forced all areas to take an equal share, as I have called for numerous times, it would ease the pressure on services and allow us to offer more support to those that are vulnerable."

If you need assistance with an asylum application, speak to our team of experts today. Call us on 0800 810 1010 to find out how we can help.

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