𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Shabana Mahmood plans to ban asylum seekers from being housed close to nurseries and schools. New criteria for the Home Office and contractors also state that migrants will not be allowed to stay in new-build homes.

The ban on new-builds comes after it emerged that up to 83 migrants would be moved into a new development in a Shropshire village. The plans for Stoke Heath have been met with fierce opposition from villagers who say the houses should be for locals.

A Home Office spokesperson said the department has introduced “robust processes” to ensure new-build sites such as Stoke Heath can “never be considered again”.

It is understood that the Shropshire development pre-dates new processes introduced by the Home Secretary, which advise against housing asylum seekers in new build properties that could increase social tensions.

A source told the Express that the new rules were clarified earlier this year and include new-builds as well as properties “that could be perceived as luxurious or sites near sensitive locations such as schools or nurseries”.

They said the Home Office is developing a “long-term, sustainable strategy” for asylum accommodation, which includes exploring alternative options such as disused properties and ex-military sites to reduce impacts on communities.

The decision to house migrants at Stoke Heath was reportedly made before the new rules were put in place.

As first reported by The Sun, residents have learned that 21 homes in the development have been acquired by the outsourcing company Serco for asylum seekers.

The Labour Government has pledged to stop using asylum hotels by the next election.

Instead the Government is moving towards housing asylum seekers in communities as well as in former military barracks, such as Crowborough in East Sussex.

Earlier this week, the Home Office announced that asylum seekers will be made to pay up to £10,000 towards the cost of their accommodation and support once they start earning.

The Government said it spent £4billion on accommodation and support for asylum seekers last year.

Home Office estimates show the average cost per person per night of accommodating asylum seekers is £23.25 in dispersal accommodation and £144 in hotels.

Subsistence payments range from £9.95 to £49.18 per person per week whole asylum seekers’ claims are being processed. Ms Mahmood has described the costs as “too high”.

The £10,000 payment demand is one of a number of policies aimed at tackling the migrant crisis introduced in the Immigration and Asylum Bill.