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According to Home Office data, there were around 90,000 decisions on older cases forecasted to be made before the end of December 2023. The pace and scale of the Home Office’s decision-making means that large numbers of people are already and will continue to turn to councils for support.

Responding to the immigration minister Robert Jenrick’s announcement that fifty hotels will be closed to asylum seekers by January, Cllr Shaun Davies, Chair of the Local Government Association said: “Councils have a proud history of supporting humanitarian efforts and continue to work hard to protect and support refugees and help deliver a wide range of government asylum and resettlement schemes. Councils share the government’s ambitions to end hotel use for asylum seekers. “Hotel closures have a direct impact on councils and local government wants to play an active role in working with

We have raised concerns about councils being asked to commit to numbers of arrivals or propose a cap. It might be difficult for councils to predict potential arrival numbers across both asylum and resettlement and therefore their capacity to support new arrivals and the additional housing needed.

The LGA responds to the National Audit Office’s report on Homes for Ukraine.

“Afghan families should not still be living in hotels and councils share the Government’s determination to get them into permanent homes."

The LGA is calling for the Government to work with councils on a jointly managed, locally driven process to asylum and resettlement that properly takes into account pressures on local areas and public services.

“We are pleased that the Government is continuing to work with the LGA and councils on funding to help families move to their own homes, reduce homelessness risks and help local partners acquire more housing."

“Councils share ambitions to move people from hotels and will continue to work closely with individuals and families over the coming months with local partners to help Afghan families find permanent homes."

“The LGA has been raising concerns with government on the growing number of Ukrainians presenting as homeless to councils, and in particular the significant rise in those who arrived through the Homes for Ukraine scheme as their six month period with hosts ends", says Chairman of the Local Government Association, Cllr James Jamieson.

The Local Government Association is calling on the Government to help councils to develop more placements for unaccompanied children so that children can be moved directly to their long-term homes.