Rogue councils in the south east are undermining official arrangements by continuing to send asylum seekers to private landlords hundreds of miles away, it is being claimed
Authorities operating outside the asylum seekers dispersal programme have been told to stop "dumping" families in other councils' areas without informing them.

Experts are warning that the dispersal programme, which has been failing to meet its targets, is suffering as a result.

The news comes as official statistics revealed that applications for asylum continue to break all previous records. Although January's applications recorded a fall from the previous month to 6,110, this was 40 per cent higher than January 1999.

Applications from Sri Lanka and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, including Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia, were "by far" the largest applicant nationalities, Home Office officials said. However, the number of decisions made on applications reached 4,040 - the highest level since July last year.

In London alone boroughs are supporting 57,328 people.

The Local Government Association said all asylum seekers who arrived in the south east needed to be processed by the official dispersal programme which it coordinates.

John Ransford, head of social affairs at the LGA, said some homes earmarked for accommodating asylum seekers were sitting empty.

"We understand the pressure that is on London and the surrounding authorities to deal with the problem of housing people, but we would urge them to use the proper channels so that appropriate facilities can be provided in local communities," he said.

The Association of London Government admitted that "there might be one or two rogue authorities" in the capital using private arrangements. But a spokeswoman added that the majority were using the system as required.

Source

Housing Today