Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers were housed in (a) Luton, (b) the East of England, (c) Norfolk, (d) Suffolk and (e) Cambridge in each month in 2022.

The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide accommodation and other support to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute while their application for asylum is being considered.

The Full Dispersal model, announced on 13 April 2022 is supported by £21million of grant funding to ensure eligible Local Authorities can provide wraparound support locally. Local authorities will also receive £3,500 for each new dispersal accommodation bed space in the 22/23 financial year.

Our accommodation providers have a robust delivery model in place, maximising the use of on-site facilities for recreation, and pastoral care to minimise impact on the local community. Security and support staff are on site 24 hours a day and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the safety of vulnerable residents and to mitigate any risks to them and the wider community.

The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area. These statistics can be found at Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Data is published on a quarterly basis, with the latest information published 25 August 2022. The next quarterly figures are due to be released later this month.