Refugees and Asylum Seekers

In a landscape filled with both information and misinformation about asylum and refugees, understanding the facts is essential.

It’s important to be clear about the difference between immigrants or migrants, people seeking asylum and refugees.

An immigrant/migrant: is anyone who chooses to move from one country to another to live, work, study, or join family.

The terms “legal migrant” and “illegal migrant” are often used to differentiate those who have entered with permission, versus those who have not.

An asylum seeker: is someone who has left their home country and asked for protection in another, like the UK, because they fear persecution, war, or violence. They are waiting for the Government to decide on their claim.

During this time, they are not allowed to work and are usually placed in temporary housing by the Home Office.

A refugee: is someone whose claim for asylum has been accepted. This means the Government agrees they would be unsafe if they returned to their home country. Refugees have the right to live, work and access services, just like any other resident.

​What the facts are about asylum seekers in Halton

For each local authority, there is a maximum number of asylum seekers that can be located in the area. This number uses a formula that is based on population size.

For Halton the number is 611 people, which will include individuals and family groups – this maximum limit has been in place since 2022 and has not changed.

Where asylum seekers are located, is a Home Office decision - Halton Borough Council has no control over that policy.

Hotels accommodating asylum seekers

Until earlier this year, the Daresbury Hotel in Runcorn was used as a contingency asylum seeker site – meaning the hotel provided temporary accommodation for individuals whose asylum claims were being processed.  

The site offered family accommodation - initially able to accommodate up to 317 asylum seekers - this increased to up to 420, although this maximum number of people was never reached.

The hotel is no longer used to provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.  

Any remaining asylum seekers were relocated to another region and not allocated housing in Halton.

Some commonly asked questions about asylum seekers:

Do Asylum Seekers get free accommodation and houses from the Council?

No. The Council is not involved in how Serco acquire rental properties; social housing stock is not utilised to house asylum seekers. Asylum seekers that are in the borough live in accommodation sourced by Serco, who are commissioned on behalf of the Home Office.  

Asylum seekers do not get to choose where they live, and they cannot apply for social housing.

If granted refugee status, they can apply for social housing or rent privately.

Refugees go through the same housing application process as everyone else. Being granted refugee status does not give automatic priority. All applications are assessed based on need as they are for all residents seeking social housing. 

Can Asylum Seekers work?

No. Government rules do not allow asylum seekers to work. They can seek volunteering opportunities to support their learning of the English language, contribute to the local area, and be part of the local community. 

What financial support do Asylum Seekers receive?

Asylum seekers living in dispersed accommodation (accommodation within the community) receive £49.18 per week. Those living in temporary accommodation in hotels receive £9.95 per person per week. Neither amount is funded by Halton Borough Council.

More information on the support provided can be found online here.

Where to find more information:

Data on Refugees and  Asylum Seekers is publicly available online at Regional and local authority data on immigration groups - GOV.UK

Understanding mis/disinformation: Resources on this page are designed to help identify and report misinformation. In Halton, reports can be made online to Cheshire Constabulary.