Council needs £3m more to cover cost of asylum seekers

nlnews@archant.co.uk
30 May 2007

HARINGEY Council will be left £3million short if the Government doesn't increase its grants to cover the cost of asylum seekers coming to the borough this year.

The funding shortfall for the 2007/08 financial year, revealed by Labour council leader George Meehan, was held up by the Liberal Democrat opposition as an example of Haringey "being kicked by the Government" at an overview and scrutiny committee meeting.

Councillor Gideon Bull, chairman of the committee, told Councillor Meehan: "Given the burdens on the authority's finances it really needs to be pressed at the highest level the amount asylum is costing us.

"Quite frankly I think we are being kicked by the Government in the fact that we are opening our arms to asylum seekers."

Haringey houses more asylum seekers than any other borough in London - 370 at the end of 2006 - according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), and has the third-highest number of asylum seekers receiving subsistence payments in London, at 605.

A recent ONS report said London's asylum-seeker population is dropping, with 60,000 leaving the capital for other parts of the country between 2002 and 2005.

Councillor Meehan said: "We do get quite a lot of money from government for asylum. This year we think we will be about £3million light. Last year we did get the money we needed."

Haringey didn't join with four other London borough councils recently to demand more money from Government to cover their costs, but Councillor Meehan insisted he was making the case for Haringey.

He said: "We have not hidden away, we have been very clear about our position to Government. The census figures in our view are flawed and have been for some time.

"The Government and the ONS don't necessarily accept that but we think the government need to sort that out.

"The census in 2001 was flawed in counting the number of people that we have. I wasn't aware that four councils were going to do that today, but clearly we have made these points directly."

He added: "I have written to ministers at the Home Office and ministers at the DfES and ministers in the health service.

"Clearly we have spelt out all these issues to the government."

Councillor Neil Williams, leader of the opposition, said: "We are happy to support the council to get the money from government, and it's disappointing that Haringey isn't working closely with other councils in London who find a similar financial shortfall.