Mayor of Croydon defends asylum seeker plans labelled as ‘uncaring’

By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter

The mayor of Croydon has hit back at claims he looks “uncaring” for wanting to move asylum seekers and ex-offenders living in the borough.

In a bid to cut its costs, the cash-strapped council wants the government to spread out placements which has seen hundreds of asylum seekers living in Croydon hotels for the past couple of years.

A council report claims ex-offenders and asylum seekers placed in the borough by government departments creates a “disproportionate and unfunded strain to the council’s budgets”.

At a council meeting on Monday night, Labour councillor Mike Bonello said: “Would you agree that the relocation of ex-offenders and asylum seekers currently housed in Croydon among your priority approaches for balancing the budget in 2023/24 may make you seem uncaring.”

There are three hotels in Croydon being used by the Home Office to house asylum seekers waiting for their claim to be heard.

In the largest hotel, where around 500 people live, some have been there for almost two years.

Croydon mayor Jason Perry said the Home Office and other London councils placing people in the borough has been a problem for sometime. He said it puts a burden on social care services in Croydon.

He said: “This is about other bodies putting additional costs onto Croydon, whether it is the Home Office or other local authorities in London.

“We have had local authorities in London place more people in our borough in the last three years than we’ve placed ourselves.

“There is a huge burden being placed on this borough. We are here to support the people of Croydon but we cannot continue supporting the whole of London and a wider audience.”

Cabinet member for finance Jason Cummings said: “People here are suffering because of the amount of pressure that is being placed on us nationally.

“All councils should be taking their fair share of these costs across the country so we can better support our residents.”

Pictured top: Lunar House in Croydon, which houses the headquarters of UK Visas and Immigration, a division of the Home Office (Picture: PA)