Council refutes Reform UK call on asylum seekers in town as Serco responds

Blackpool Council has responded to claims made by Reform UK’s lead councillor over plans to house migrants locally whilst also refuting stats on the number of asylum seekers in the town.

Cllr Jim O’Neill, Reform UK’s Leader on the council, says emails circulating locally show private landlords in the town are being actively recruited by the company tasked with housing asylum seekers in the UK.

Cllr O’Neill says Serco, contracted by the Home Office to house the migrants, is offering landlords five-year contracts with guaranteed above-market rental rates.

He claims the town has already taken on nearly three times the national average share of asylum seekers, pushing hard-pressed residents to the back of the queue, and is calling on Blackpool Council to demand an immediate pause to the Home Office’s asylum dispersal programme.

Serco has responded to his claims by accepting that renting dispersed accommodation is the most cost-effective means of accommodation for asylum seekers.

But labour-led Blackpool Council argues that much of what Cllr O’Neill is claiming is factually incorrect and says it is too easy to “sow the seeds of discord” in the community.

Those views were echoed by Chris Webb, Labour MP for Blackpool South, who slammed the claims as ‘misinformation’ and insisted that ‘there are no plans or requirements for further asylum accommodation in Blackpool beyond existing arrangements.’

What Reform councillor says

Cllr O’ Neill said: “Blackpool is the most deprived local authority in England according to the Government’s own 2025 deprivation index. Seven of the ten poorest neighbourhoods in the country are inside our boundary.

“A man born here today will live almost six years less than the England average, and our drug-death rate is nearly four times the national rate.

“Despite this, Blackpool is currently carrying nearly three times the national average share of asylum seekers. We are bearing a massively disproportionate burden in the town that can least afford it.”

He added: “This is not about offering sanctuary to those genuinely fleeing persecution. This is about basic fairness for the long-suffering people of Blackpool. Our veterans who served this country with honour are left waiting on the housing register with no hope of a home.

“Vulnerable care leavers, who desperately need support, are denied any fast-track assistance. Pensioners, often frail and forgotten, are left languishing while they wait for basic care packages. Yet asylum seekers are fast-tracked into hotels and taxpayer-funded private housing.”

Cllr O’Neill is calling for an immediate pause the dispersal contract for Blackpool, a full capacity and impact assessment for the town to be published, and for Blackpool people to be put back at the front of the queue for Blackpool services

What Council Leader says

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “It’s easy to try and sow discord in our community, but that doesn’t mean it’s correct or the full picture.

“We speak with the Home Office every week and that relationship was key in securing the closing of the Metropole. Having a professional relationship is much more productive for Blackpool, proven by the early closure that we secured through our approach.

“People seeking asylum are not housed in social housing. We changed our policy years ago so that people with over three years of connection to Blackpool were prioritised.

“We put this policy in place initially for people moving here from cities like Manchester and Birmingham, but it holds the test of time and still puts Blackpool people first.

“It is over-subscribed, but that’s from Blackpool people, and backs up this council’s plans to create more social housing, and tighter regulation of the private rented sector.

“We understand from the Home Office that there isn’t a need for additional houses or hotels here but are speaking to them regularly.

“The government has massively reduced the backlog of asylum claims. That will mean that some people have a legal right to stay in the UK, however that doesn’t always mean that they choose to stay in Blackpool and if they do choose to stay there is no queue jumping. Blackpool residents come first.

She added: “It’s really important to put context on the discussion around refugee resettlement. It’s not true to say we have three times the national average of asylum seekers. The proportion of people in dispersal accommodation in Blackpool is not one of the highest in the North West, with higher proportions in Preston, East Lancashire and Liverpool.

“Even with every resettlement scheme, the total amount is less than 1% of our population. That is expected to fall further as the Metropole closes next month and we will keep making the case for Blackpool to be treated appropriately.”

What MP Chris Webb says

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb, who campaigned for the Metropole to cease housing asylum seekers, said: “After a two-year campaign which I took directly to the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, I secured agreement for the Metropole’s closure as an asylum hotel.

“It is now almost empty, with only a small number of residents remaining. Individuals have been moved through a managed process into accommodation outside Blackpool, and it will close as scheduled in July.

“Today [28th May] I have spoken directly with the Minister for Asylum, who has made clear that there are no plans or requirements for further asylum accommodation in Blackpool beyond existing arrangements.

“Over the past two years, the number of people housed in dispersed accommodation in Blackpool has reduced significantly, with the number housed in the town well below its nationally set dispersal quota.

“Serco’s engagement with private landlords is part of the standard process used to manage normal fluctuations in dispersed accommodation. It is not connected to the closure of the Metropole Hotel.

“Constant claims circulating online about new contracts or new asylum sites are simply inaccurate.  No new site in Blackpool has been earmarked or contracted for asylum accommodation. This misinformation is being deliberately pushed by far-right groups looking to stir up division and fear in our town.

“It is also important to be clear about housing. Asylum seekers are not eligible for social housing in the UK. They cannot join council housing waiting lists or be allocated homes ahead of local residents. Council housing is allocated by local authorities on the basis of eligibility and need.”

Serco comment

A Serco spokesperson said: “We work under the direction of the Home Office. Renting dispersed accommodation is the most appropriate type of accommodation for asylum seekers at least cost to the taxpayer compared to hotel rooms.”