Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Where will the refugees coming to the UK live?

999 replies

Meeklynamechanged · 17/08/2021 22:16

In no way a goady thread, I fully support helping the people fleeing such horrid circumstances, but genuine question.. where will they live? Where do we put people?

Where I live we have people waiting 10 years for a council property. Most areas around the UK have a huge deficit in available housing that doesn't meet demand.

With so many families stuck in overcrowded hostels and B&B's, families of 5 in 1 bed flats, I can't see where all of the required the housing will come from?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
20
Fangdango · 17/08/2021 23:02

@StoneofDestiny

Think there's a lot of people in Scotland who would like to live on a wee island

Interesting. What research is your statement based on?

Lots of people like that everywhere, unfortunately. Asylum seeker entry to the UK is central policy. Their settlement and education is devolved policy, and Scotland and Wales offer them more for integration on that score than England.
Lalliella · 17/08/2021 23:03

Perhaps everyone who has a second home or an empty property could have it compulsorily purchased? Including the Royal family. This would solve homelessness at a stroke too.

ViciousJackdaw · 17/08/2021 23:03

Many hotels/B&Bs will have closed thanks to the pandemic. I'm sure there are thousands of rooms going begging. It could be a good idea to look at reopening these places.

gogohm · 17/08/2021 23:03

It varies. There have been schemes where communities "adopt" refugees so towns can ask for families and source a suitable property, furniture etc (we took 10 Syrian families, placed into homes owned by sympathetic landlords, churches collected furniture, winter clothing, school uniforms etc and provided English lessons for the adults plus mentoring). Others are in housing arranged by contractors eg g4s normally in areas with surplus housing, it might surprise Londoners but theres boarded up houses up north!

Clocktopus · 17/08/2021 23:03

Are most of the refugees from Afghanistan male?

Priority is going to be given to women and girls.

CurbsideProphet · 17/08/2021 23:04

My county council has been approved to accept 140 refugees from Afghanistan. They have started advertising on social media to ask if private landlords have properties available. Social housing is in crisis even here in ordinary parts of the NW, not just in London. I don't know what the answer is.

Wheretoeattweenandteen · 17/08/2021 23:04

It's a worry.

One hopes they don't end up in mouldy houses in deprived areas.

Poorer housing is noitoursly rubbish in the UK or grim b and bs.

London or busy cities might be better to start off with diversity.

FedNlanders · 17/08/2021 23:05

We pay too much in rent and I hate that we cant find anywhere else but you know what? I'm a family sight luckier than many and I dont begrudge homes going to people before me!

Maireas · 17/08/2021 23:05

About 5.6m EU nationals have applied to stay following Brexit. The vast majority (5m) want to stay in England. Decent housing for anyone living here has to be available, and the social housing stock is badly depleted. The waiting lists for social housing are long everywhere.

gogohm · 17/08/2021 23:06

@memberofthewedding

Scotland does take them, saw a great documentary on refugees resettled in island communities and how welcomed they were

Original poster
Meeklynamechanged · 17/08/2021 23:06

@gogohm

It varies. There have been schemes where communities "adopt" refugees so towns can ask for families and source a suitable property, furniture etc (we took 10 Syrian families, placed into homes owned by sympathetic landlords, churches collected furniture, winter clothing, school uniforms etc and provided English lessons for the adults plus mentoring). Others are in housing arranged by contractors eg g4s normally in areas with surplus housing, it might surprise Londoners but theres boarded up houses up north!
What a wonderful scheme, I'm so heartened to read that.
OP posts:
dangerrabbit · 17/08/2021 23:06

They should decriminalise squatting again

Darkchocolateandcoffee · 17/08/2021 23:06

Good question

Maireas · 17/08/2021 23:06

@MrsJuliaGulia

I presume those arriving from Afghanistan will be classified as high priority, especially if the UK invites them to live here. Which would mean they’d jump to the top of the housing queues and be housed immediately, or have their private accommodation paid for by the councils to which they’ve been sent.
Maybe in the short term put up in hotels.
SchrodingersImmigrant · 17/08/2021 23:07

@Maireas

About 5.6m EU nationals have applied to stay following Brexit. The vast majority (5m) want to stay in England. Decent housing for anyone living here has to be available, and the social housing stock is badly depleted. The waiting lists for social housing are long everywhere.
It's not just the ones actually living here, some people applied while abroad + it includes non EEA family members.
Original poster
Meeklynamechanged · 17/08/2021 23:07

@FedNlanders

We pay too much in rent and I hate that we cant find anywhere else but you know what? I'm a family sight luckier than many and I dont begrudge homes going to people before me!
Nor do I.
OP posts:
StoneofDestiny · 17/08/2021 23:09

Either an unveiled dig at the FM or a completely stupid suggestion

It wasn't that veiled. Just another opportunity on Mumsnet to take a dig at the FM/SNP. In the circumstances under discussion, crasser than usual.

Wheretoeattweenandteen · 17/08/2021 23:09

Wow, I didn't realise so many eu nationals here!

5.6 million,

20 000 refugees in genuine need pales into insignificance Sad

Scottishskifun · 17/08/2021 23:12

Many different charities help out as do individuals my parents have housed many refugees over the years some for just a few weeks one family was over a year.

Generally it's short term accommodation before more permanent solutions can be found. These people have also helped UK forces for many years.

Yes there is a shortage of social housing but generally a bit of dispersion is applied for permanent housing and solutions.

TheTeenageYears · 17/08/2021 23:12

If the Government were to take on the liability aspect either themselves or via fully comprehensive insurance it would make it easier for those with property available to help. Unfortunately there's such a huge risk factor involved in renting out or allowing others to stay in a home you own. Any potential damage to property can cost a fortune to repair and particularly at the moment, take forever to organise. There must be a way of making helping less risky for an individual.

Babyroobs · 17/08/2021 23:12

Leicester has already just taken a load of people that have come by boat across the channel.

StoneofDestiny · 17/08/2021 23:13

Think there's a lot of people in Scotland who would like to live on a wee island

The suggestion is that lots of Scots (the majority of whom are urban dwellers) want to live in a wee island.
Really keen to know what this is based on..........oh nothing at all

Bunnyfuller · 17/08/2021 23:14

How about we look more closely at those in the council houses that originally got them due to circumstances which are no longer relevant, yet they’re still taking up accommodation.

Lesina · 17/08/2021 23:14

I’ll find room for a few. I believe most of my friends will do the same.

Maireas · 17/08/2021 23:15

Another issue is that they'll naturally want to gravitate to London - more of an Afghani community, more Muslims, more chance of work etc. We had Syrian refugee students at our school, (north of England) the families left to go to London for those reasons.
The London boroughs need to get far more funding for social housing.