Local leaders demand government action to help house asylum seekers and refugees

Greater Manchester's political leaders have called for urgent action from the government to help house asylum seekers and refugees. They have spoken of the 'acute' pressures local authorities are facing, blaming government policies.

And they have called out the recent 'divisive' rhetoric regarding immigration. In a letter to Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary Michael Gove, they have set out specific demands.

It comes as councils prepare for the closure of hotels which have been used to accommodate Afghan refugees later this year. Residents of the four bridging hotels in the city-region have started receiving their 90-day notices to leave.

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Last month, town hall bosses in Manchester - where three of the hotels are located - said they are 'confident' that suitable accommodation will be found for the 710 individuals affected by the closures. But in their letter to the government, local leaders call for the 90-day notice period to be extended.

They have also warned of an increase in homelessness among asylum seekers due to a policy change designed to serve decisions faster. Already, one in 20 homeless people in Greater Manchester become homeless after being forced to leave Home Office accommodation - double the national rate - partly due to the 'inequitable' dispersal of asylum seekers in the city-region, the letter says.

The letter signed by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, his deputy Kate Green and the 10 council leaders, also reaffirms the city-region's 'long-standing commitment' to do its part to help people when they arrive. But it accuses the government of reducing its support for those