Living next to asylum seeker HMO, ask me anything

[JapanesePotWeed]

As the title says. I live in a Victorian mid-terrace, wall-to-wall, garden-to-garden with an asylum seeker dispersal HMO. They were moved in nearly two years ago, replacing a multi-generation family that were living there before.
There is another HMO directly opposite my house, where asylum seekers get rooms once they are approved to remain but don't have an income to support themselves.

Not AIBU but more like AMA. I'm wondering what people would ask me if they really could ask anything. Does anyone actually want to know what it is like? I hear a lot of political point scoring in the media regarding this topic but no one actually talks to people like me!

How has this experience affected your political views, OP?

This thread won’t last I expect

@JapanesePotWeed I lived near a hotel and it was awful, I really feel for you.
I do wonder if you’ll be a bit more protected though, I mean you’re somebody that they recognise? And presumably they’re less likely to cause trouble on their own doorstep. just a thought.

By the way, the loft access is a fire safety issue as well - I’m surprised it’s not been asked about on your insurance.

This is just awful, were yous able to object to them being made into HMOs? Also the entitlement of them to not like shared accommodation and want to get themselves a flat or a house, they shouldn't even be in this country. Economic migrants the lot of them

Have you ever had a conversation with any of your neighbours about what prompted them to leave their home country? (If yes, where was the person from and what reason(s) did he give?)

Most of the men I've known (through work) in this situation have families back home, and are hoping they'll get their asylum claims granted so they can get their own accommodation and apply to have their wives/children join them. It isnt usually an expectation to live alone, just not to live with strangers in a set up that you have no choice in.
If they're economic migrants they wouldn't be granted asylum and wouldn't have a route to gain accommodation.

This on repeat: go to a country - claim asylum - work illegally cash in pocket - stay as long as the asylum process lasts and the government covers all living costs - leave when full financial support stops, whether the asylum is granted or not.
There's usually 12-18 months max before fully supported living stops. If asylum is granted, they are expected to look for work, house themselves and must start paying bills. At that point some leave, some stay and work, some present to the council as homeless and destitute and live on benefits (the men in the HMO opposite my house).

Imagine an 18 month long "working holiday" during which you didn't have to pay for accommodation, phone, internet, utilities, no council tax payments, no tax on illegal working, plus £200 a month pocket money. They must make a sizeable amount of cash!! Not all of them work. But more than half have something going on the side.

Yes it was Coronation St. Les Battersby was getting into a neighbour's house through the shared loft.

If they're economic migrants they wouldn't be granted asylum and wouldn't have a route to gain accommodation.

It's not like they tell the Home Office or their case workers where they've been before and that they intend to work here!
Some of the more "experienced" asylum claimants are very aware of all laws, regulations and what could catch them out. For example, they knew very well to store their delivery bags on shared land to claim plausibly those things are mine. They have a whole house, a shed and a large garden but they knew exactly the benefits of that shared alley.

Asylum seekers cannot claim benefits. Those in an HMO have housing expenses covered and receive a weekly welfare payment of £49.19. That is to cover all of their other expenses.

You can see why they pick up the illegal Deliveroo work.

HMO accomodation is by no means nearly always single sex. The majority of HMOs are student houses or professional houseshares in or near cities, usually mixed sex. I've lived in a few myself and every one was mixed.

Asylum seekers can claim benefits in the form of universal credit. There are certain routes where public funds shouldn't be allowed this is often ignored, and the whole immigration system is so messy that the majority of migrants-whether seeking asylum or not- end up being supported with UC because the UK is a very expensive country to live in and these people almost always do not have the resources to fund themselves.

I loved next door but one to a similar set up. All fucking night they would be out in the street talking incredibly loudly or playing music

That £200 per month of pocket money includes food, clothing, toiletries and transport.

Do you really think this sounds lush, OP?

They mostly complain about England to be fair! 😅 I don't blame them though, this street is a hell hole. Prostitutes on hard drugs proposition to them and they tell me how awful that is!

Usually they have quite nice things to say about their countries. About food and their mums. No one has ever mentioned war. One told me that his mum is from Syria, dad is Kurdish and that they are still in Kurdistan. But there are no jobs and he can't have a family with no job. I never pry into the asylum part and I think that is why they trust me. I pretend it doesn't exist.

Asylum seekers cannot claim UC. They live on a pittance: a welfare payment of less than £50 per week if responsible for feeding themselves, or a payment of less than £10 (that is not a typo) per week if the accommodation provided board.

Refugees, like other UK passport holders, can. One does not become a refugee until
one’s claim of asylum is granted. Only a minority of claims are successful.

No, it is only lush when topped up by tax free working!
I can see how one guy earning big money delivering food or drugs can tempt others on basic sustenance to join in!
Those who smoke cigarettes, weed and buy a Shisha pipe are not on £50 a week...

Does the landlord have an HMO licence? (It will be listed on your council website).

Yes, they have one. It was granted many moons ago with the landlord stating that they only intend to house three students, so no more people than bedrooms. Went to 5-6 students straight away, then a large family and now 5-6 asylum seekers.
The landlords are getting away with anything and the rules get bent as required. I doubt a permission to house 5-6 unrelated males would have ever been granted if they went with that initially.

Haha.

Seriously, count me as another worried about your loft access. I wish you would raise this with your local authority.

OP, if there were a snap election tomorrow, which party would get your vote?

Nothing to ask, but feel sorry for you. This would be my worse nightmare….

My mum volunteered as a befriender for some Syrian refugees, families fleeing the civil war who came to Britain via legal routes.

Quite a few of them complained about the quality of the houses they were given. Seemed a bit cheeky to me. I’m sure a lot of unhoused British families would have been glad to have one of those homes!

@EmeraldRoulette
By the way, the loft access is a fire safety issue as well - I’m surprised it’s not been asked about on your insurance.

So.My house cannot be insured anymore! My long term policy came for renewal and the insurer declined to insure my house citing "change of circumstances and/or surroundings such as increase of crime in the vicinity".
I haven't claimed on my insurance ever...
I have asylum HMO on one side, homeless HMO for addicts on the other. And it is ME left having to pay for fences, loft walls, and insurance premiums I can't afford, if can even find somebody prepared to insure!

@Julynian you asked about selling my house. It has been made impossible unless I sell for absolute pennies. The Council have thrown about a possibility of buying my house from me - they basically acknowledge I'm stuck otherwise.

You're right, I could try the council. I will! The fire regs place extra demands on HMOs, so maybe they could identify a fire risk and make the contractor fix it from the profits they make!

Re none of them mentioning war, it is worth remembering that in a country that is not at war, a person can be at very real risk of being murdered by government forces.