A FORMER tax enquiry centre is to be converted into a reporting facility for asylum seekers, The Northern Echo has learnt.

The centre will open next year in the HMRC building in Russell Street, Middlesbrough, which is now closed to the public.

The Home Office, which will operate the facility, has refused to say how many people it is expected to process, nor when exactly it will open, beyond stating 2015. However official signage has already gone up at the site.

The move is bound to fuel fresh debate about the level of immigration into the town. In October it was revealed Middlesbrough has the largest proportion of asylum seekers of any area in England and is exceeding Government prescribed limits.

Most asylum seekers have to report daily, weekly or monthly to a reporting centre or police station, as part of the process of determining whether they can legally remain in the country.

The nearest reporting centre in the North-East is in North Shields, Tyneside, while asylum seekers can also report to police stations in Middlesbrough and Stockton.

Dr Pete Widlinksi, of the charity Justice First, which works with people on Teesside seeking asylum, said: “I don’t see anything negative in this at all, it will be quite useful to have a local reporting centre in the town.”

But there was anger from local councillor John McPartland and his independent colleague Pervaz Khan, who said they should have been informed earlier of the move.

Coun McPartland, whose Middlehaven constituency includes the Russell Street site, said: “If this is the way the Home Office is going to work it is a disgrace. Why so secretive?”

And UKIP North-East MEP Jonathan Arnott said: “We live in a democracy and people have a right to know what is going on in their local area.

“We should support those who are genuinely fleeing persecution and claim asylum in accordance with the law.

“However the concern is that Britain is seen as a soft touch by those who travel across several safe countries in order to arrive here.”

A spokesman for the Home Office said: “Reporting centres are a vital part of our work to progress cases as quickly as possible, to encourage the voluntary return of people who have no basis of stay in the UK and enforce returns where necessary.”