Glasgow City Council has warned it could face "disastrous" consequences if thousands of refugees head north after the UK government cut the time people granted asylum can remain in official accommodation, including hotels.
Susan Aitken, leader of the SNP-run council, said the pressure on homelessness services in Scotland's biggest city could become "unbearable" after the Home Office reduced the post-protection accommodation period from 56 days to 28 days. The change, which the government said took effect on Sept. 1, has prompted council chiefs and charities to seek extra support from Westminster to avoid a further deterioration of the city's housing emergency.
Glasgow already hosts the highest number of asylum seekers per capita in the UK, with 4,023 people registered — the equivalent of 65 per 10,000 residents — and local officials say the city has begun attracting homeless refugees from other parts of the UK, including Belfast, Birmingham and London. The council has previously signalled a £110 million shortfall in funds required for homelessness services over the next two years.
Aitken criticised the change in policy as a "decision that reeks of panic and pandering," saying it was "hard to see it being anything other than disastrous for refugees and for the communities trying to support them when the Home Office washes its hands." She and other local leaders have asked the British government for additional financial support and for a fairer dispersal system that would send more people to other council areas in Scotland.
Under devolution arrangements, many services for refugees and asylum seekers — including health, education and homelessness accommodation — are the responsibility of the Scottish government. English councils are required to house only those in "priority need," such as parents with children, while Scotland has a policy that guarantees a legal right to housing for those in need, officials say. Charities and housing groups warned that reducing the "move-on" period will increase homelessness and destitution among people granted protection and add pressure on local authorities.
Sean Clerkin of the Scottish Tenants Organisation called on both governments to treat Glasgow as a "special case" and provide substantially more funding for housing, while the British Red Cross said the shorter period would increase levels of homelessness and put additional strain on councils already dealing with record arrivals.
The decision to shorten the accommodation period marks a reversal from a policy change made in December, when the previous increase to 56 days was introduced in response to calls from refugee charities. The government said the new 28-day period is intended to reduce dependence on government-provided temporary accommodation and accelerate transitions into the private rented sector.
The move has also intensified local tensions. In recent weeks, demonstrations have taken place outside migrant hotels in Perth, Aberdeenshire and Falkirk, with some local politicians warning of community strain. Scottish Conservative MSP Craig Hoy accused the SNP leadership of encouraging migration and said the party was "burying his head in the sand" over the scale of the crisis, arguing that pressure on housing could foster resentment among long-term residents and lawful migrants on waiting lists.
Nationally, the Home Office has sought other measures to reduce irregular crossings. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the UK could suspend visas for countries that refuse to take back migrants and said she had "reached an agreement" with counterparts in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance to boost returns of foreign nationals who have "no legal basis to remain". The Home Office later said the agreement would lead to closer cooperation but was unable to specify how visa restrictions would be applied in practice, and it emerged that any visa curbs would be imposed by Britain rather than jointly by partner countries.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp described Mahmood's announcement as "shameless spin," and analysts warned that targeted visa restrictions could prompt reciprocal measures by affected countries, with potential implications for trade and university recruitment.
Scottish and local officials say the immediate priority is funding and practical arrangements to prevent more people being made homeless as the shorter move-on period takes effect. Council leaders, charities and housing organisations are urging the UK government to provide emergency resources and to work with Scottish ministers on dispersal arrangements so pressure on Glasgow's services does not escalate further.