Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 39
39
Acknowledged
Home Office failed to prioritise community cohesion, fostering mistrust and undermining social cohesion
Conclusion
For too long, the Home Office has not prioritised community cohesion in its approach to asylum accommodation, no doubt at least partly because that is the responsibility of another department. The Home Office has failed to properly engage with local communities, and as a result has missed opportunities to proactively communicate its approach to asylum accommodation and address local concerns. The lack of engagement and transparency has left space for misinformation and mistrust to grow, which in too many areas has led to tensions and undermined the ability of local partners to promote social cohesion. (Conclusion, Paragraph 172)
Government Response Summary
The Home Office asserts it already engages extensively with local authorities and partners on asylum accommodation. It is also committed to improving and prioritizing communication with local communities, developing clear messaging, strengthening engagement channels, and undertaking trials with police forces to counter misinformation and foster community cohesion.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Home Office undertakes engagement at various levels of seniority across government, with local authorities, and other statutory partners concerning asylum accommodation in local authority areas. For dispersed accommodation, the Home Office meets with local authorities from every region in England monthly and provides comprehensive data concerning the current and future dispersed accommodation estate. In addition, local authorities, and if they wish, local police, are consulted on every single dispersed accommodation property before it is procured. We are committed to improving and prioritising communication with local communities about the use of asylum accommodation and ensuring that legitimate concerns are addressed while misinformation is challenged. This work is being taken forward in collaboration with other government departments, devolved governments, local authorities, local police, and community groups. Our approach includes developing clear and consistent messaging on why accommodation is required, how decisions are made, and what measures are in place to safeguard local communities as well as asylum seekers. We are strengthening engagement channels to ensure concerns raised by residents and local representatives are acknowledged and acted upon, and that accurate information is provided promptly to counter misinformation. This will form part of a wider programme to build trust, improve transparency, and support community cohesion. A trial involving six police forces across England is also under way to identify the most agile and effective ways of working with policing partners on misinformation, disinformation and malicious content. Alongside this, further work is taking place with a wider group of 17 police forces across the UK, including forces in Wales and Scotland, to establish and test new ways of working on information sharing, community reassurance and tackling misinformation.