Kent Council wants reimbursing for asylum costs

Kent Council has called on the government to repay them for
costs incurred for asylum services, arguing that it is a national
issue and should not be paid for by local tax-payers,
writes Amy Taylor.

The council claims that it is owed £14.8 million in back
payments by the Home Office, some of which go back three years. It
also believes that meetings with the government aimed at getting
the money paid were getting nowhere.

Leader of Kent Council, Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, said that the Home
Office did not seem to know what was going on.

“Kent Council has always maintained that this is a
national issue and not one to be borne by local council taxpayers.
Up to now the government has agreed this,” he added.

A Home Office spokesperson said that Kent had told the
government about problems around its funding of asylum seekers and
that both parties were in discussions to try to sort them
out.