Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 40
40
Accepted
Improve communication with local communities about asylum accommodation, addressing concerns and misinformation
Recommendation
The Home Office should work with other government departments, local authorities, devolved administrations and community groups to improve communication with local communities about the use of asylum accommodation in their areas. This should include communicating how legitimate concerns are being addressed and ensuring that misinformation is challenged. (Recommendation, Paragraph 173) The Home Office’s strategy
Government Response Summary
The government accepted the recommendation, committing to improving communication with local communities, addressing legitimate concerns, and challenging misinformation. It outlined specific actions including developing clear messaging, strengthening engagement channels, and conducting trials with police forces.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
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.