Glasgow City Council said it could face "disastrous" consequences and an unbearable increase in homelessness after the UK government halved the period people granted asylum can remain in official accommodation from 56 days to 28, a change that took effect on Sept. 1.
Council leader Susan Aitken, whose authority has promoted Glasgow as a sanctuary city, said the shorter "move-on" period could prompt large numbers of refugees to travel to Scotland because Scottish policy guarantees a legal right to housing. Glasgow already hosts the highest number of asylum seekers per capita in the United Kingdom, with 4,023 people — the equivalent of 65 per 10,000 residents — and the council has warned of an estimated £110 million shortfall in homelessness funding over the next two years.
Aitken said the Home Office change, announced by the Labour government, amounted to "a decision that reeks of panic and pandering" and warned it could leave people who have won protection vulnerable to homelessness and destitution. Local authorities in England are required to house only those in "priority need," such as parents with children, whereas Scotland’s approach provides broader housing rights, officials said.
Homelessness charities and local organisations called on both the UK and Scottish governments to provide additional funding and a fairer dispersal system. Sean Clerkin of the Scottish Tenants Organisation urged ministers to treat Glasgow as a special case and redistribute asylum seekers more evenly across Scotland to relieve pressure on the city. Alex Fraser of the British Red Cross said the reduced move-on period would increase homelessness and put extra strain on councils.
Glasgow leaders say the city has also begun attracting people presenting as homeless from other parts of the UK, including Belfast, Birmingham and London, and noted recent public demonstrations outside hotels housing asylum seekers in Perth, Aberdeenshire and Falkirk.
While immigration policy is reserved to the UK government, many services used by refugees and people seeking asylum — including health, education and homelessness accommodation — are devolved to the Scottish government, creating jurisdictional tensions. Scottish First Minister John Swinney has said Scotland remains welcoming to refugees, while Scottish Conservatives and some local officials have criticised the SNP for what they describe as policies that could increase pressure on housing and local services.
The Home Office, led by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, has signalled a tougher immigration stance more broadly, saying the UK could impose visa restrictions on countries that refuse to take back their nationals. Mahmood also said she had reached an agreement with counterparts in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing partnership to boost returns of foreign nationals with no legal basis to remain. The Home Office described the move as "much closer working," but offered limited detail on practical measures. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticised the announcements as political posturing.
Council leaders and charities in Glasgow said they urgently need additional funding and clearer arrangements with Westminster to prevent a worsening housing emergency. They argued that without extra resources or an adjusted dispersal system, the combination of a reduced move-on period and existing high per-capita asylum numbers will increase demand for already stretched services and accommodation across the city.
Officials in Glasgow have previously described the influx of asylum seekers presenting as homeless as "unprecedented." The council is seeking immediate financial support as it prepares for the policy’s practical effects, including more people seeking council housing and emergency accommodation once the shorter move-on period begins to apply.
Both governments face growing pressure to agree how to manage the shift in policy while balancing immigration enforcement with obligations to provide support and housing to those who have been granted protection. Negotiations over funding and dispersal arrangements are expected to continue in the coming weeks as local authorities monitor arrivals and demand for services.