Homelessness chief says Government refuses to meet over 'untenable' asylum situation

Glasgow’s homelessness chief says the UK Government minister responsible for asylum policy has refused to meet for talks over an “untenable” situation in the city.

The council declared a housing emergency in late 2023 as rising homelessness was exacerbated by Home Office efforts to speed up decisions on asylum claims to reduce a backlog.

It has led to “unprecedented levels of pressure”, with the cost for 2025/26 estimated to be over £45m.

Cllr Allan Casey, SNP, wants Labour’s Angela Eagle MP, minister of state for border security and asylum, to meet with the council, the Scottish Government and Scottish Refugee Council to discuss potential solutions.

However, he says the minister has turned down an invitation while visiting the city — and has sent Ms Eagle a letter urging her to reconsider.

The council’s homelessness convener said: “I’m disappointed that the minister has refused to meet with us while she is here in Glasgow, and I have written to her directly to express this.

“Glasgow is the biggest dispersal area in the UK. We have been a welcoming place for asylum seekers for decades. However, the system that she is presiding over is putting unprecedented levels of pressure on all areas of the system, and the current cost to the city is running into the tens of millions, with no end in sight.

“It is utterly untenable. We want to discuss this directly with the minister, and put forward some potential solutions, including a pause here in Glasgow, and our commitment to being a pilot area for people seeking asylum to work.

“The leader and I are prepared to make ourselves available at any time while the Minister is here to meet with her to discuss this further, and we hope she reconsiders the decision.”

The letter states Glasgow currently houses over 4,000 asylum seekers and over 54% of homeless households in temporary accommodation in the city are from households who have been granted leave to remain.

In December, council leader Susan Aitken said she had written to Ms Eagle to ask for a meeting and extra financial help to deal with the situation.

Last week, a report to Glasgow’s integration joint board (IJB) — which directs the health and social care partnership (HSCP) — revealed the cost of dealing with rising homelessness could leave the city with a funding shortfall of almost £260m over the next three years.

Glasgow City Council has agreed to cover the cost of the “continuing pressure in relation to asylum” in 2025/26 — estimated to be £45.3m. But the IJB still faces a £42.5m deficit, and agreed to cut over 145 jobs to help plug the gap.

Financial forecasts show the situation worsening, with a funding gap of £118m over three years. That rises to £259m if the “cost of asylum are included in 26/27 and 27/28”, the report stated.

Health chiefs warned the situation is “unsustainable” and said funding settlements were “not keeping pace with demand or inflationary pressures”. The board receives funding from both the council and NHS, whose contributions are dependent on their own budget processes and settlements from the Scottish Government.

The Home Office has been asked to respond to Cllr Casey’s comments.