For years, a commonly invoked argument against those who support continued high immigration into the UK has been that they rarely choose to live in diverse areas. They are hypocrites, it is claimed. Soon, however, this argument will be much harder to make. That’s because, according to newly published Home Office documents, more than 90% of councils across the UK will be housing asylum seekers by the end of the year, up from 82% earlier this summer.

As part of efforts to phase out the use of migrant hotels, the Labour government plans to relocate an additional 40,000 asylum seekers to areas including London and the South and East of England. Current provisions can accommodate 46,640 individuals, yet a total of 66,000 remain in need of “dispersal accommodation” — a mix of houses, flats, and bedsits.

To meet this demand, the Home Office is reportedly exploring alternative housing options such as military sites and disused buildings. The Service User Demand Plans, compiled by the department, outline the projected distribution of asylum seekers across regions. As of the start of July, 297 local authorities were already hosting asylum seekers. Of the remaining 64 councils not yet involved, 36 are expected to begin providing accommodation by year’s end.

Since 2000, the UK has operated a policy of dispersal of asylum applicants who require accommodation to prevent London and the South East — where legal migrants largely choose to settle — from being overburdened. Asylum applicants have no say in where they are sent to live while awaiting a decision on their claim. Instead, to determine where they are accommodated, negotiations take place between local authorities, the Home Office, and third-party contractors who are responsible for securing private rental accommodation.

Emerging alongside this wider geographic distribution of asylum seekers is an increasing concern about illegal migration. As the asylum estate expands, its effects become a lived reality for more and more people who come into contact with it. Communities once untouched by migration, which were free to virtue-signal about the need for a generous asylum system, increasingly grapple with its complexities firsthand rather than as a distant abstraction.

The rise of Reform UK, alongside a string of migrant hotel protests across the country, shows that the expansion of accommodation for asylum seekers has led to heightened resistance rather than greater empathy. The desire to be seen as nice has given way to the desire to feel safe.

This latter point may be exacerbated by the fact that “dispersal accommodation” will increase competition for private housing, driving up housing costs. Since these properties are typically chosen for their affordability — often located in economically disadvantaged areas — the resulting strain will disproportionately impact working-class communities, including many of the voters Reform seeks to attract.

Vast increases in the number of councils hosting asylum seekers in areas such as the East and South East of England have radicalised millions of people. Since the number and backlog of asylum claimants continue to increase, the estate will need to increase too. And with each widening of the geographic spread, there is fertile ground created for Reform to plough its furrow.

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Tom Jones writes at The Potemkin Village Idiot.

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