Glasgow baulks at asylum seeker costs

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.