News

Glasgow Council has warned the Scottish executive that it may have to cut services unless it receives extra funding to meet the added costs of supporting asylum seekers.

The council, the only one in Scotland to accept asylum seekers under the National Asylum Support Service dispersal scheme, wants the executive to pick up the tab for the added education, housing, policing and social services costs it incurs for accommodating asylum seekers.

A source told Community Care the council had met the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the executive to discuss the issue. The source denied the council had threatened to withdraw from the dispersal scheme, as had been suggested in some newspapers. The source added: "There is an issue of service delivery to the public. Discussions about how much it is costing, funding priorities and configuration of services are ongoing."

Since 2000, more than 11,000 asylum seekers have been dispersed to Glasgow. In England, councils can bid for extra funding to put towards the added costs of providing services for asylum seekers.