Local communities lack ‘true picture’

The UK can learn from the experience of its European neighbours
about how to help asylum seekers integrate into society, according
to a senior official from the Home Office.

Giving the keynote address at the conference, the immigration and
nationality policy assistant director, Chris Hedges, said: “It is
important that we look at asylum from a UK and a local
dimension.”

Hedges added that more had to be done to inform local communities
about what the situation was really like for asylum seekers.

He said: “We need some ‘blue skies’ thinking because we have to
involve those thousands of people who are not getting a true
picture of asylum seekers.”