City says it has 'had its share of asylum seekers'

Portsmouth's Royal Beach hotel is currently housing asylum seekers

A city that has a "crisis in social housing" has taken its share of asylum seekers and other areas must be considered, according to its housing chief.

Portsmouth has 53 houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) being used to house more than 500 asylum seekers - a greater number than any other council area in Hampshire.

Reform UK councillors have raised concerns about asylum seekers being moved from hotels and said they "must not take rooms in housing which could be used for local people".

Liberal Democrat councillor Darren Saunders, cabinet member for housing, said the council had been given reassurances the city would not see an increase in homes being used.

He acknowledged the severe need for affordable housing in the city but said the government "had got the message" that it had taken its fair share of asylum seekers in dispersal accommodation.

City council statistics show the number of HMOs being used for asylum seekers is a small proportion of the 3,318 in the city - just 1.6%.

Councillor George Madgwick from Reform UK said the party was concerned about potential family homes being taken over for use by the Home Office

But Reform UK councillor George Madgwick said: "We are worried landlords will be financially incentivised by the Home Office's third party contractors to take asylum seekers when we have a waiting list of more than seven years for local people".

Madgwick, who represents the Paulsgrove ward, said his party wanted asylum seekers to be moved into secure detention facilities rather than dispersed into communities.

In a statement, the Home Office said: "We are exploring large Ministry of Defence sites".

It said that it was working with local authorities to develop several potential accommodation models.

But Saunders said that reassurances had been given by Clearsprings, the company that has the Home Office contract for providing accommodation, that Portsmouth would not see an increase in homes being used.

The government has pledged to end the use of asylum hotels, which have cost billions of pounds and become a focal point for anti-migrant protests, by 2029.

Asylum seekers are due to be housed in the Cameron Barracks in Inverness and Crowborough army training camp in East Sussex by the end of November, under plans being drawn up by ministers.

Ministers are also considering industrial sites, temporary accommodation and otherwise disused accommodation.