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Manchester Road, Huddersfield: factsheet

Updated 8 March 2024

Why do we need asylum accommodation sites?

The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has put our asylum system under incredible strain.

We have been clear that the use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable – there were more than 50,000 asylum seekers in hotels as of the end of June 2023, costing £8 million a day. Including all contingency accommodation, the numbers accommodated are more than 52,000.

The Home Office is committed to making every effort to reduce hotel use and limit the burden on the taxpayer.

What is the Home Office using new asylum accommodation sites for?

The introduction of new asylum accommodation sites will provide more suitable accommodation for asylum seekers.

In doing so, they will help to reduce the government’s dependency on the use of hotels to accommodate migrants who have entered the UK illegally.

Site background

Manchester Road is made up of two accommodation blocks and is located in Huddersfield.

We are working closely with stakeholders, including local authorities and representatives from police, health and a private contractor who provides asylum accommodation services to ensure that accommodation provided for those seeking asylum is suitable.

Why are we using the Manchester Road site?  

The Home Secretary has a statutory duty to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.

Manchester Road has been identified as suitable for the purpose of asylum accommodation.

Manchester Road will provide basic and functional accommodation for asylum seekers.

What about reports that students were kicked out of their accommodation over the summer for this asylum accommodation?

This is untrue. No students have ever lived on site.  Students who had enquired about the accommodation prior to Home Office involvement were informed by the housing company that they would need to seek alternative options.

Timescales

When will the site open? 

The first group of asylum seekers are expected to arrive in the next few months.

We will be using a phased approach, gradually increasing the number of asylum seekers accommodated over time, with the site under constant review.

The site can accommodate about 670 individuals when fully operational.

Illegal migration 

What happens to migrants once they arrive in the UK by small boat? 

Small boat crossings are dangerous, unnecessary and put lives at risk. There have been appalling and preventable tragedies in the English Channel which must stop.  

We aim to deter illegal entry to the UK, break the business model of people smugglers and protect the lives of those they endanger.  

Migrants are intercepted by Border Force and brought to facilities in Dover to begin processing their asylum claims.  

Full screening of people’s identity, security checks, initial asylum screening and processing is undertaken at the Western Jet Foil in Dover and Manston, Kent.    Migrants are then moved to suitable accommodation locations as quickly as possible.  

When does an individual become an illegal immigrant?  

The Nationality and Borders Act 2022 included significant measures to deter illegal entry into the UK and to remove those with no right to be here. We arrest and prosecute those people who are found to facilitate or illegally smuggle people into the UK.

The Illegal Migration Act 2023 changes the law, stipulating that people who enter the UK illegally will not have their asylum claim determined in the UK. Once removed, they will not be allowed to return to the UK.

Operational plans for the site 

Does the Home Office have an Operational Management Plan?  

The Home Office is developing a detailed Operational Management Plan for the site which we will continue to progress as we involve our contractual service provider, and the site grows in capacity over time.

Who is running the site? 

The site will be operated by an experienced and specialist asylum accommodation provider under the supervision of the Home Office.

Impact on the local community and services 

What impact will the number of asylum seekers accommodated at the site have on the local community?  

The Home Office is working with local partners to develop bespoke plans that take account of local issues and minimise the impact on the local community. This includes working closely with West Yorkshire Police, to ensure appropriate policing for the site and to understand and address their concerns regarding local community safety.

How will this asylum accommodation impact local services, including health? 

The Home Office are carefully considering the impact on local services including the NHS, police and fire services and we are working with local partners to develop bespoke plans that take account of local issues and risks associated with the site.

What about local people living near the asylum accommodation on Manchester Road?  

We continue to work with local partners to address the concerns of those most impacted by the site and explore ways that we can keep them informed about what is happening on site.

Cohort and capacity

Who will be accommodated at the asylum accommodation site at Manchester Road?  

The first asylum seekers to be accommodated on site will be single adult males aged 18 and above.

How many asylum seekers will be accommodated at the site and will it remain as “temporary”? 

The Home Office will be using a phased approach to moving people on site and the maximum capacity is about 670 people.

The Home Office use of the site will be kept under constant review.

Will the site be at full capacity on Day 1? 

We will be using a phased approach, increasing the number of asylum seekers accommodated at the site over time with the practicalities of managing the site under constant review.

Suitability  

Is the site suitable for accommodating people?  

Under sections 95 and 98 of the Immigration Act 1999, the Home Secretary has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation.

Accommodation and onsite facilities are designed to ensure the essential needs of those accommodated there are met. This includes the provision of catering facilities, faith and worship facilities and recreational space.

There will be robust processes in place to assess and manage the requirements of anyone who would be accommodated at the site.

Will vulnerable people be accommodated at the site?  

In addition to the checks against policing and immigration databases, at Manston, those individuals identified for the site will be subject to a suitability assessment. Guidance on the suitability criteria used can be found on GOV.UK.

Each person’s suitability will be assessed at regular intervals and if they are no longer suitable for any reason, they will be moved to alternative accommodation.

All asylum seekers in the UK may contact Migrant Help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year if they need help, advice, or guidance, that includes raising issues relating to safeguarding.

Safety and security

What checks are carried out on those arriving in the UK who are later moved to the Manchester Road site?  

Individuals are taken to facilities in Dover to begin processing. Searches are undertaken at Western Jet Foil followed by robust security checks and biometric tests at Manston. This includes checks against UK and international police databases. If anyone fails these checks, they are detained.  

Anyone transferred to the site will have been through these checks. 

An allocation policy and suitability criteria will ensure that no one is housed in accommodation that does not suit them or their needs. If, during their stay, it emerges that an asylum seeker is no longer suitable for the site, they will be moved to different accommodation.  

The service provider who is running the site on behalf of the Home Office is responsible for the safeguarding of migrants. Our service providers are experienced in managing asylum seeker accommodation in an orderly and secure manner.  

What kind of security measures will be put in place? 

The safety and security of the local communities, the staff and those accommodated on the sites are of the utmost importance. A specialist and experienced security provider will be working on site 24/7.

The Home Office will work closely with local police to ensure appropriate security arrangements are in place.

How will the Home Office ensure the personal safety of residents? 

On arrival, those resident at the site will receive a briefing and orientation about the site and the local community. In addition to information about how to access services on and off site, the briefing explains what constitutes appropriate behaviour. It sets out acceptable and unacceptable behaviours as well as their responsibilities as individuals to act as good neighbours.

If any criminal activity does occur, our providers have robust processes in place to report them to the police. Our providers are experienced at running non-detained temporary asylum accommodation with minimal impact on the local community.

Will the Home Office pay for additional security for my home?  

No, the Home Office does not provide this. Each person and/or household is responsible for making sure their property and belongings are secured and protected and this advice remains true whether there is an asylum centre in your area or not.

Asylum seekers leaving the site

What is the process for asylum seekers leaving the site on a day-to-day basis? 

Asylum seekers living at the site will not be detained and will be able to come and go. The process for leaving this site is the same as the rest our asylum accommodation. 

On arriving at the site, those resident at the site will receive a briefing and orientation about the site and the local community. This will inform them of how to access the services they will need on and off site, as well as their responsibilities and what is expected of them as good neighbours. 

The service provider, who is running the site on behalf of the Home Office, is responsible for the safeguarding of migrants and is experienced in managing asylum seeker accommodation in an orderly and secure manner.

Comparisons to other sites  

Are there any success stories from other similar sites?  

The Home Office will apply lessons learnt from other accommodation sites such as Wethersfield, the Bibby Stockholm in Portland, and hotels across the country.

The Home Office is committed to sharing best practice and will work to introduce local authority partners to share their knowledge of working within the Home Office accommodation programme.

We appreciate that there are differences in the type of accommodation but the principles of running an accommodation site remain the same.

Health care

What health care will be available to the asylum seekers?

We are working through the specifics of healthcare provision with local and national health partners through the Multi-Agency Forum (MAF). A health subgroup of the MAF has been set up specifically to look at how we reduce the impact on local health services.

Upon arrival in the UK, all asylum seekers are offered a health check at Western Jet Foil in Dover and Manston, Kent. If necessary, healthcare practitioners at Manston administer medical care.

The Home Office has procedures in place to support individuals with potential symptoms of an infectious disease, including isolation spaces and a designated isolation hotel. The Home Office receives advice and guidance where needed from the local UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Health Protection Team on management of individuals and contacts with a suspected infectious disease. Anyone with symptoms of an infectious disease is requested to isolate.

On arrival at Manston, individuals are offered a diphtheria vaccination and prophylaxis medication in line with current UKHSA recommendations in response to the outbreak in this population.

Extensive work is being undertaken with local and national health partners to work through the specific health and safety concerns and to reduce the impact on local health services.

House prices

Can the Home Office provide any compensation for any loss in property value?

The Home Office appreciates the concerns of local residents and will continue to continue to collaborate with key stakeholders to lessen the impact of using the Manchester Road site on the local community. However, the Home Office does not intend to offer compensation for loss in property value.

Is the Home Office going to offer compensation to local community for house insurance prices going up?

As mentioned above, the Home Office appreciates the concerns of local residents and want to continue to collaborate with key stakeholders to lessen the impact of using the Manchester Road site on the local community. However, the Home Office does not intend to offer compensation for increases in home insurance.