Council leader sends letter on asylum seeker dispersals to minister
New North East Lincolnshire Council leader sends letter to Home Office on Day One about asylum seekers.
Last updated 5 hours ago
The new Reform UK council leader in North East Lincolnshire has written to the Government’s Immigration Minister, to “raise serious concerns regarding the continued dispersal of asylum seekers into North East Lincolnshire under the Government’s dispersal scheme”. The matter will also be raised at the authority’s next full council meeting, scheduled for July 30.
Cllr Oliver Freeston (Croft Baker) sent the letter to Home Office Immigration and Asylum Minister, Alex Norris MP, on his first day as council leader. He highlights in the letter Reform’s recent local elections success in North East Lincolnshire.
He states Reform believes it carries “a clear democratic mandate from local residents” to raise serious concerns about continued dispersal of asylum seekers locally. He said: “Whilst property prices and rental values in our area may make North East Lincolnshire attractive to private contractors for the acquisition and conversion of housing into HMOs for asylum accommodation, many local people do not believe this approach is fair or sustainable for our communities.”
Cllr Freeston goes onto state the UK “has always been willing to offer refuge to genuine asylum seekers” but it is “increasingly clear to many residents that the original asylum system, created with good intentions and rooted in compassion, is now being widely exploited by large numbers of economic migrants who have no legitimate claim to asylum in this country”. He says he will ask at the next full council meeting for fellow councillors to back a formal request to end further asylum dispersal placements within the borough.
“Should we gain the support of full council, we will ask that the Government urgently reviews the continued use of North East Lincolnshire as a dispersal area and engages constructively with the council and local representatives regarding the future of asylum accommodation policy within our community.”
Cllr Freeston told LDRS: “I do not believe North East Lincolnshire should continue being treated as a dumping ground because of our low property prices.”
“When this motion comes forward, I’ll be asking for support from all parties – backed by facts, figures, data, and the voices of thousands of local residents. It should not be controversial to prioritise the needs of local people over those illegally entering the country,” he said, referring to his view that the asylum seeker system is being widely exploited by individuals who are not refugees.
“What may surprise some people is that I often receive messages of support from legal migrants who are frustrated that they have followed the rules, paid their IHS and visa fees, only to see others being housed for free. We are standing up for these people too.
“I make no apology for being robust on this,” he said, adding, “a lot of people feel the same way.” Asylum seekers are individuals seeking refugee status in a country.
At the end of December 2025, there were more than 100,000 people on asylum support, where state-provided housing or financial assistance is provided to destitute individuals while awaiting a decision on asylum claim. This was down five per cent on a year before.
As of March 2026, there were 276 supported asylum seekers located in North East Lincolnshire, six receiving subsistence support only. This compares to 557 in Hull, 72 in North Lincolnshire, and 14 in Lincoln.
“The Government’s dispersal scheme sees illegal migrants placed into local communities without a vote or a say, putting pressure on already stretched housing and services,” said Cllr Freeston to LDRS. He argued: “For years people have voted for lower immigration levels, but successive governments have failed to deliver.”
It was recently announced net migration to the UK in 2025 stood at 171,000, almost half the number compared to 2024. Cllr Freeston argued Reform’s ‘Detain and Deport’ plans, which would aim to deport all undocumented migrants in five years, was “the only way to solve the immigration crisis that is placing undue pressure on local communities”.
Prior to the local elections, Reform said, if it became the governing party nationally, it would open migrant detention centres in areas that voted Green, based on the party’s immigration stance. A Green Party spokesperson accused the party of “making abhorrent announcements in attempts to distract voters” from other policies.