Refugees being moved from London and up to County Durham

Many of the refugees being shipped to County Durham speak little English and are being put in homes which are not suitable for use – one family had no gas or electricity when they arrived in a house that had not been occupied for years.

The practice has been slammed as “absolutely abhorrent” and “immoral” as the North East struggles with a housing crisis of its own with 75,000 families stuck for months waiting for social housing, more than 300 homeless children and County Durham rent rising 7 per cent in the last year alone.

The Northern Echo previously discovered that last year London Borough councils moved up two vulnerable households every month into homes owned by private landlords due to a shortage of social housing in the capital.

Multiple sources across the region have confirmed that a large number of refugees are also being transported to County Durham.

Last night, the process of moving refugees up to County Durham was criticised by charity leaders as a “burden” for the region due to the lack of communication with local authorities.

(Image: Northern Echo)Durham County Council has been in contact with London councils to ask why it was not notified of the moves before they happened.

Mary Kelly Foy, Durham City MP, has described the process as “little more than social cleansing” and how “heartbreaking” it is hearing what people are going through.

Grahame Morris, Easington MP, summarised what London and southern councils are doing as “unacceptable”.

Joanne Thorns, refugee and asylum seeker project co-ordinator for Communities Together Durham, described how families were arriving in County Durham “with no support”.

She said: “Over the last few months we have seen an increasing number of families moved up from various London authorities to properties in the North East.

“We understand that these are families that require housing, but due to the lack of housing and costs some authorities are choosing to discharge their responsibilities and homelessness duty by offering the families houses they have acquired in the North East.

“From what we have seen these tend to be houses secured from private landlords and the new tenants are expected to sign a two-year tenancy without seeing the house.

(Image: Stuart Boulton)

“Most of the families we have encountered have been asylum seeking families who have been granted leave to remain, although I gather other families are being housed in this manner.”

She highlighted how people arriving had no support registering for schools or GPs.

She added: “They are often picked up by local charities, neighbours or advice centres, but the families we have seen have had no support from the sending authority.

“The houses we have seen are often below a standard most would expect and the furnishings are minimal.

“We had one family move into a home that had been empty for some time and had no gas or electric.

“We have seen houses with no carpets, no curtains and no sofa, damp and broken windows.

“The families often arrive with what they can carry as they have had to move quickly and nobody is here when they arrive to explain where the nearest shops are.

“Families are moved into an area where they do not know anyone, have no support around them and feel very isolated.

“We have concerns about the families, we and others get to know about some of them but we suspect others are simply left and are struggling on their own.”

(Image: Northern Echo)Ms Thorns went on to explain that all the houses are rented by landlords from out of the area who are very hard for the families to contact.

This comes after North East households have reported feeling “physically sick” by temporary accommodation they were offered by local authorities and how they have been offered places to stay with no cooking appliances.

Peter MacLellan, CEO of the Durham Christian Partnership which runs food banks around the region, outlined how the shortage of housing in the south of England was leading to “increasing numbers” of families being relocated to the North East.

He said: “Due to the shortage and cost of housing in the south of England, London especially, we are seeing increasing numbers of families and individuals being relocated by those local authorities and offered housing in County Durham – usually through private landlords.

“These families have no local connections and sometimes struggle to find the support they need locally.

“Some have recently been given refugee status. There are cases where the housing is of poor standard or inadequate in other ways and the families are unfamiliar with how to get things put right.

“Local organisations including Durham County Council do their best to support these families but with limited resources.

“Often advice and support organisations are unaware of these new arrivals until they face a crisis.

“There needs to be better communication from the re-locating local authorities and resources to support the people they are moving so that the burden is not simply transferred to County Durham.”

Ms Foy added: “It's absolutely abhorrent that London authorities are not only discharging their duties by relocating people out of London, away from any support network they may have in place, they are placing vulnerable families in properties that are simply not fit for habitation.

“Stories of families moving into properties lacking basic provisions such as gas, electricity or being completely unfurnished are heartbreaking, and is an absolute dereliction of duty by the London authorities engaged in what appears to be little more than social cleansing.

“There is not only a risk that these people will fall through the cracks, they appear to be being wilfully put at risk simply for expedience.”

(Image: Parliament)

Mr Morris emphasised how important it is for councils to take responsibility for the families they relocate.

He said: “I am concerned about the increasing number of vulnerable families being moved to the North East by councils in London and the South without proper support.

“While we understand the housing challenges these councils face, outsourcing their responsibilities to regions already grappling with deprivation, without sufficient funding or resources, is unacceptable.

“Councils are meant to provide services and support their communities. Unfortunately, what we are seeing is a short-sighted practice that places immense strain on already over-stretched councils and local resources in our region.

“Families are being sent to unfamiliar areas with little to no support, leaving local charities and communities to fill the gaps. This is not a sustainable solution, and it risks deepening social inequalities in our region.”

(Image: London Portrait Photoqrapher-DAVID WOOLFALL)

Cllr Alan Shield, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for equality and inclusion, said: “We pride ourselves on being part of a welcoming and inclusive county and as a council we take a compassionate approach to anyone who is vulnerable or displaced.

“This includes taking part in government refugee resettlement programmes through which we provide support to those who need it, although it is worth stressing the number of people we agree to help is proportionate to the size of our population.

“It’s also worth noting that where people have been given leave by the government to stay in the UK, it is their right to resettle where they like following their initial supported placement.

“As we’ve previously stated, we are aware that some London councils have offered their residents private tenancies in other parts of the country, including in the North East.

“These arrangements are made directly between the councils in question and private sector landlords and are not something that we are involved in, nor are they something we condone.”

Durham County Council only become aware of families in need when local charities and councillors get in touch seeking support. 

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Mr Shield added: “We only become aware that people have been relocated to our area when we’re approached by councillors, local charities, members of the community or the families themselves, seeking support and assistance for them. 

“Where this has happened, we have made contact with the councils responsible to query why they have not given us prior notice of the relocation, as they are required to, and whether they have assessed what support is needed or being provided to the residents.

“We have also arranged to carry out property checks in those few instances in line with our compassionate approach.”

The Home Office acknowledged that the UK Government has resettled many refugees fleeing danger over many years.

A spokesperson said: "Any issues with accommodation should be raised with local authorities, with whom we work extensively to ensure that all families are well supported to build their new lives."