Political View: Asylum issue needs addressing

This move is under the Home Office dispersal policy which is designed to house those fleeing persecution away from London and big cities. The policy was introduced by the Tories, but now continued under Labour.

In a period of economic decline, during which we have seen a transfer of wealth towards the 1% at the top, many of us are struggling to keep up with rising mortgages and rents. In Peterborough we are facing a homelessness crisis and lack of affordable and social housing.

Coupled with this is the mental image many have of ‘hotels’ as places for holidays. No wonder there is anger and bewilderment. But what’s really going on here? And what would be a better solution?

The vast majority of asylum seekers are people who have risked their lives to escape from religious, political and other forms of oppression. Peterborough has a proud record of welcoming people from all over the world, we would not want to change that. The UK has a moral and legal obligation, as a founding signatory to the UN Charter on Human Rights to house anyone who is fleeing persecution. In the Green Party we have strong policies to support this, and categorically reject attempts by the far right to use this issue as an excuse to stir up hatred and division.

There is a legitimate question to ask about whether hotels are fit for this purpose however with organisations such as Refugee Action expressing concerns that they are not suitable for the long term.

Green Party policy is against the clustering of asylum seekers in one area, and is also in favour of allowing asylum seekers to work so they can earn a living and not be dependent on benefits.

The decision to place 146 asylum seekers on the edge of a leisure park in Peterborough doesn’t serve anyone so why does it keep happening? I suspect it has to do with cost, compared to larger cities with more infrastructure, and is also symptomatic of the wider housing crisis. It’s clear the government is doing little to seriously address the issue.

Asylum seekers should be put up in proper accommodation better suited to their long term requirements, in places with access to NHS services and job opportunities.

There are over a million empty homes in England, over 265,000 of these are classed as ‘long term’ empty. If we add in short term lets and second homes that means every 1 in 25 homes are empty!

Bringing these empty homes back into use would be an environmentally sustainable way of dealing with the crisis. The phenomenon of empty homes is particularly acute in London, but they also exist here. In fact we know that major financial institutions such as Lloyd’s bank are buying up new homes in Peterborough such as at Fletton Quays and New Haddon as an investment vehicle.

None of this is the fault of refugees, inflaming local tensions and stirring up hatred will not help solve the housing crisis. It only directs our attention away from those who are really to blame, the richest in our society who are happily accumulating assets while the rest of us struggle.

If like me, you believe in a system of asylum and humanitarian protection which treats applicants fairly and humanely, but also want to fight for a world in which no one needs to seek asylum, consider joining the Green Party at join.greenparty.org.uk