Housing asylum seekers in less affluent communities has led to significant strain and "civil unrest," admitted Labour's borders minister Anna Turley on Wednesday. She asserted that the burden of accommodating migrants must now be shared more broadly, extending to wealthier areas.
Turley emphasized the need for a "fair and equitable system" for distributing asylum seekers across the country. She defended plans to house 1,200 migrants near Piddington, a village with a population of only 400, stating that previous concentrations in areas like Blackpool, where housing is cheaper, placed an "enormous burden" on local residents.
"What we've seen in the past is places like Blackpool, and other communities around the country where housing is perhaps cheaper and more plentiful, have had to take more than their fair share of asylum seekers," Turley told the BBC. "That's put a huge burden on local communities and created real civil unrest, so we want to make sure that we're managing the system much better in a more sustained way that's reducing the impact on local communities."
The Prime Minister has stated he will ensure arrivals are not exclusively placed in "the poorest communities." These remarks followed a week that saw a record 230 individuals arrive on a small boat.
Under current Home Office proposals, a former military base in Bicester is slated to accommodate 1,250 male asylum seekers. In protest, residents of Piddington have voted to hold a symbolic referendum on leaving the United Kingdom.
Turley reiterated her stance on fairness, stating, "This is about fairness. This is making sure that there is distribution around the country, and this is about a more fair and equitable system that limits the impact on local communities."
Regarding the Piddington plans, she clarified that the migrants would be housed on a "self-contained site" at the former military base, which is designed to manage and contain residents while providing for their needs. "They will be allowed out, but everything they need will be on that site. So they will be managed. They will be contained," she said.
When asked if her own constituency would be able to accommodate a similar influx, Turley noted the absence of a former military base but stressed that the principle of fairness remains paramount.
Andy Burnham, commenting on the Piddington protests, expressed willingness to listen to and address legitimate concerns. "I do have to say, we cannot have a situation where it's only the poorest communities in the country that receive all of the dispersal of refugees and asylum seekers. I do believe all parts of the country need to work, to play their part," he stated.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticized the plans, warning of potential negative consequences for middle-class communities and alleging that migrants could commit serious crimes.