Council forks out £60k for more learning courses for asylum seekers to tackle bulging waiting list

There are currently 1,044 asylum seekers living in dispersed accommodation in the city, according to the most recent Home Office figures, with an additional 267 people living in the Best Western Hotel, being used for contingency accommodation.

Last year the council received £1.4m from the Home Office Full Dispersal Grant based on the number of asylum seekers in dispersed and interim accommodation.

There will be an additional amount paid to the local authority if bed spaces increase this year.

A recently-published council report states that most of the funding is "used to minimise the impact of asylum dispersal on local communities" by supporting their "integration and cohesion".

However, the council will use a small amount to provide extra English Speaking Other Language (ESOL) provision for people due to the current waiting lists in the city.

"The extra funding of £60,000 will provide much needed provision of a number of courses within the city for refugees and people seeking asylum," the report states.

"A key obstacle to people integrating into the local community is the language barrier that they face whilst either awaiting their decision or after being granted refugee status.

"There is currently ESOL provision being delivered across the city, but provision of additional capacity will enable newcomers to the city to integrate more quickly, access employment and make a greater contribution to their local communities.

"There are sufficient funds available to provide this much needed service in order to provide additional capacity.

"There is a priority within this cohort to improve access to language courses in order to integrate this cohort into our communities and improve cohesion.

"At present the ACL team has a strong demand for pre-entry ESOL provision, and are regularly at capacity.

"As a result, they are having to turn potential learners away or refer them to Stoke-on-Trent College or other local providers.

"This proposal would enable the ACL team to expand provision beyond the existing curriculum, creating more opportunities for learners - particularly in areas and at times where no suitable provision currently exists".

Similarly, asylum seekers arriving in Essex reportedly receive an £8,000 budget for social care, with Essex County Council spending more than £15million on social care for asylum seekers in one year, new data has shown.

Essex was in the top ten local authorities with the highest combined asylum seeker support spending in 2024-25, according to the Taxpayers’ Alliance.

The support can include interpretation and language services, health, housing, education and legal services - sparking anger from across the political spectrum, with concerns about a “broken system".

Stephen Robinson, Lib Dem leader of Chelmsford Council, said: “If they were processing asylum claims quicker, there would be less of an issue because those that would be given settled status can settle into the community, get a job, pay tax, and those who don’t get asylum would be deported, which is what should happen.

“The Labour Government’s failure has led to an impact on local councils and in some parts of the country it’s had a bigger impact than others".

A Government spokesman said: “This government has reduced asylum support costs by nearly a billion since the general election and the Home Secretary is taking tough action to fix our broken immigration system - removing incentives that draw people here illegally, scaling up removals, and revoking the legal duty to provide asylum-seeker support.

“The Government is overhauling the broken funding system we inherited and has made almost £78 billion available to councils next year, so that the most deprived communities benefit".