"The truth hurts"
Date: Thu Jun 12, 2003 10:58 am
Subject: Please read carefully. Tell everyone you meet.




WHAT NEW LABOUR STATED ABOUT ACCOMMODATION CENTRES LAST YEAR AND
WHAT THEY STATE ABOUT ACCOMMODATION CENTRES THIS YEAR!

DOES ANYONE NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES? YES, THERE ISN'T EVEN A MENTION
OF 'PROPOSED' SITES IN WALES OR SCOTLAND! I SAID THIS WOULD HAPPEN
AT THE TIME AND I DON'T THINK NEW LABOUR SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET AWAY
WITH IT. ANY SUGGESTIONS FOLKS!


http://194.203.40.90/news.asp?NewsId=176&SectionId=3

Accommodation Centres for Asylum Seekers
[15 August 2002]

ACCOMMODATION CENTRES FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

The Government plans to establish accommodation centres for asylum
seekers. The centres are a trial and together will provide 3000
places. In January we announced that we had identified EIGHT (8)
potential sites. In May we concluded that sites at Hooton Park,
Ellesmere Port, Cheshire and Killingholme, North Lincolnshire were
unsuitable. The situation with the remaining six sites is as follows:

Non-statutory public local planning inquiries are to be held on the
proposed centres at:

Defence Storage & Distribution Centre (DSDC) Bicester, Oxfordshire;
ENGLAND
RAF Newton, Nottinghamshire; ENGLAND
We will shortly be submitting a planning notification in respect of:

Throckmorton Airfield, near Pershore, Worcestershire. ENGLAND

Further work is required on the following three sites before a
decision can be taken on whether to proceed to planning
notifications:

Sully Hospital, Cardiff; WALES
AirWest, Edinburgh; SCOTLAND
Hemswell Cliff, Lincolnshire. ENGLAND

Most people applying for asylum in the UK have nowhere to live and
no means of support. It is the government's duty to support them
while we consider their claim for asylum.

At the moment, we house most asylum seekers around the country in
houses, flats or hostels provided by Local Authorities or private
landlords.

But we want to change this by supporting asylum seekers in
accommodation centres. This is a big change, and we need to be sure
that it will work effectively. The four trial centres will enable us
to test the new system.



HERE ARE THE ANSWERS TO SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What happens now that the local authorities have objected to Home
Office plans?

The local authorities at Newton and Bicester rejected our planning
notifications on 11th July. We announced on 2nd August that we are
to contest these decisions. In response, it has been decided that
non-statutory public local inquiries are to be held.

Are you creating centres like Sangatte?

Accommodation centres will be different to the Red Cross Centre at
Sangatte in France. Most people at Sangatte do not claim asylum in
France and are therefore not asylum seekers. Sangatte has only a few
basic facilities. It dispenses basic humanitarian aid to would-be
illegal immigrants in the Calais area. Accommodation centres in the
UK will be purpose built or refurbished facilities designed to
accommodate asylum seekers while their asylum applications are
determined. The centres will provide for asylum seekers' needs.
Residents will therefore have considerable incentive to comply with
the asylum process.

Will accommodation centres be used to house people who have entered
the UK illegally through the Channel Tunnel? What impact will this
have on local crime rates?

Some of the asylum seekers housed in accommodation centres may have
entered the UK illegally. But it is wrong to suggest that asylum
seekers are any more likely to commit crimes than anyone else. There
is no evidence to support this.

In July, the Home Secretary and his French counterpart announced a
package of measures to crack down still further on illegal
immigration from northern France to the UK. A key component is
closure of the Sangatte centre.

Why accommodation centres?

Accommodation centres will make it easier to stay in touch with
asylum seekers while we consider their applications. Among other
benefits, this should help us to make decisions faster.

Authorities in some of the areas with large numbers of asylum
seekers have told us of the pressures which this can place on local
services. The new centres will avoid this by providing a wide range
of services, including education and primary healthcare, on site.

What will be provided at the centres?

As far as possible, the centres will meet all the basic needs of
asylum seekers. The centres will provide:

Basic living needs;
Education and health facilities;
Purposeful activities and voluntary work;
Interpretation facilities;
Access to legal advice;
Transport links.
This means that asylum seekers living in accommodation centres will
not be dependent on local services.

Are the asylum seekers going to be detained at accommodation centres?

No, they will not be detained. Accommodation centres are not the
same as removal centres. Residents will be subject to security
checks as part of the initial screening process.

The centres will have clear rules, including residence and reporting
requirements, and residents will have good reason to follow them.
Anyone who breaks the rules will be liable to lose support. Breaking
the rules may also affect their claim for asylum.

Will asylum seekers take local jobs?

No, they will not take jobs. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work
while their application is being processed.

Will asylum seekers still be able to do voluntary work?

Yes, and we shall encourage them to do so. It is important that
people are able to get involved in purposeful activities while their
asylum claim is being assessed, building up skills that they can use
in the future.

How long will asylum seekers be in an accommodation centre?

We aim to decide each asylum case in two months. If there is then an
appeal, the courts aim to decide this within four months.

Will those who are allowed to stay in the UK then live near to their
accommodation centre?

Once somebody has been given the right to live in the UK they can
live anywhere, but we intend that the responsibility for integrating
accommodation centre residents who are allowed to stay should not
fall disproportionately on communities near accommodation centres.

Are the accommodation centres expected to have an adverse impact on
property prices?

There are many factors which may impact on property prices, both
short and long term. So far as accommodation centres are concerned,
local businesses may benefit from any new building or refurbishment
that is needed, and we anticipate that the centres will boost the
local economy by creating between 200 and 300 jobs once they are
operational. Other economic benefits to be gained include the
potential for contracts and orders for local businesses as well as
the regeneration of what, in most cases, are currently derelict
sites.

How many centres will there be?

We want places for 3,000 asylum seekers, and we think we will need
around four accommodation centres to do this.

When will the centres be built?

This will depend upon planning consent.

How were the sites selected?

Site selection was based on a number of factors including, for
example, the availability of land and our policy to disperse asylum
seekers away from London and Kent.

How will you consult local communities?

Home Office officials spoke to site owners and local planning
authorities prior to submitting the planning notifications at DSDC
Bicester and RAF Newton. Consultation with the public, local service
providers and agencies has been taking place as part of the planning
process, using mechanisms agreed with the local planning
authorities. We envisage that consultation regarding the site at
Throckmorton Airfield will follow a similar pattern, as will
consultation regarding any other sites we decide to take forward.

Why are you not applying for planning permission in the normal way?

Government departments cannot use the ordinary planning procedure.
They are required to submit notifications under Circular 18/84.

How long will local authorities have to consider the notifications?

We are using the ordinary (non fast-track) arm of Circular 18/84,
which mirrors the normal planning application process. Local
authorities are required to respond to the notification within eight
weeks.

What happens after eight weeks?

The local authority can either grant consent to the notification or
object to it.

Why do some sites need further work?

For various reasons it has not been possible to complete evaluations
of the sites at Sully Hospital (Glamorgan), AirWest (Edinburgh) and
RAF Hemswell (Lincolnshire). Decisions will be taken on whether to
proceed to planning notifications on these sites as soon as those
evaluations are complete.

Aside from the eight previously announced, are you looking at any
other sites?

Site searching has continued since we made our initial announcement,
as we said it would. We have identified several sites ourselves and
a number of others have been put forward by potential bidders.

Where are those sites?

We will not be putting into the public domain details of such sites
unless and until they are considered to be a serious prospect for
the siting of an accommodation centre.

Will the accommodation centres be there long-term?

The four centres are a trial of the new approach. If the trial is a
success, then we will set further centres up around the country.

How can I find out more?

You can find background information about Accommodation Centres in
the Government White Paper Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration
with Diversity in Modern Britain (Paragraphs 4.28 to 4.41) The White
Paper was published on 7th February. You can access it via the Home
Office website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk. or on the following web page:

http://www.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm53/5387/cm5387.htm

The Home Office is the government department with responsibility for
deciding asylum claims and supporting asylum seekers.

Home Office

August 2002
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http://194.203.40.90/news.asp?NewsId=268&SectionId=3


Accommodation centres for asylum seekers: your questions answered
[02 May 2003]

ACCOMMODATION CENTRES FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS

Up to 3000 places will eventually be provided to support new asylum
seekers at a number of new accommodation centres.

The Government plans to establish the centres for asylum seekers at
a number of sites across the United Kingdom. These centres are a
trial and to date we have submitted planning notifications on two
sites:

Defence Storage & Distribution Centre (DSDC) Bicester, Oxfordshire;
ENGLAND
RAF Newton, Nottinghamshire; ENGLAND

Planning inquiries for the proposed accommodation centres at both
Bicester and Newton are now complete.

The planning inspector handling the Bicester inquiry submitted his
recommendation to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in April.
The same process will apply at Newton.

The latest site to be identified is HMS Daedalus in Gosport,
Hampshire ENGLAND
where we are considering applying for planning approval. This
potential site will be a smaller model of accommodation centre for
up to 400 single men.

Most people applying for asylum in the UK are destitute, have
nowhere to live and no means of support. The government ensures that
their basic needs are met while we consider their claim for asylum.

Presently, we accommodate most asylum seekers around the country in
houses, flats or hostels provided by Local Authorities or private
landlords.

We want to change this by supporting asylum seekers in accommodation
centres where they will be in an environment that is safe, where
their cases can be resolved quickly and where there is minimal
impact on local services

Answers to some frequently asked questions:

How will you communicate with people who are most likely to be
affected by the proposals of an accommodation centre being built
near them?

We plan to inform people through a series of different
communication channels. These include:

delivery of leaflets direct to residents in areas near to the
proposed sites
individual websites for each of the proposed sites
through public meetings
exhibition materials at sites agreed with local authority
It is also possible that the local media will be used to pass on
informative details of times and dates of public meetings.

Are you creating centres like Sangatte?

The Red Cross centre at Sangatte in France was emptied by 14
December 2002 and has been dismantled by its owners, Eurotunnel.
Accommodation centres will be different to the centre that existed
at Sangatte. Until the centre closed, most people at Sangatte did
not claim asylum in France and were therefore not asylum seekers.
Sangatte had only a few basic facilities. It dispensed basic
humanitarian aid to would-be illegal immigrants in the Calais area.

Accommodation centres in the UK will be purpose built or refurbished
facilities designed to accommodate asylum seekers while their asylum
applications are determined. The centres will provide for asylum
seekers' needs.

Will accommodation centres be used for people who have entered the
UK illegally through the Channel Tunnel and what impact will this
have on local crime rates?

Some of the asylum seekers supported in accommodation centres may
have entered the UK illegally. But it is wrong to suggest that
asylum seekers are any more likely to commit crimes than anyone
else. There is no evidence to support this.

Why accommodation centres?

Accommodation centres will make it easier to stay in close contact
with asylum seekers while we consider their applications. Among
other benefits, this should help us to make decisions faster.

Authorities in some of the areas with large numbers of asylum
seekers have told us of the pressures, which this can place, on
local services. The new centres will avoid this by providing a wide
range of services, including education and primary healthcare, on
site.

What will be provided at the centres?

The centres will meet the basic needs of asylum seekers and will
provide:

Basic living needs;
Education and health facilities;
Purposeful activities and voluntary work;
Interpretation facilities;
Access to legal advice;
Transport links.
This means that asylum seekers staying in accommodation centres will
not be dependent on local services.

Are the asylum seekers going to be detained at accommodation
centres?

No, they will not be detained. Accommodation centres are not the
same as removal centres. Residents will be subject to security
checks as part of the initial screening process.

The centres will have clear rules, including residence and reporting
requirements, and residents will have good reason to follow them.
Anyone who breaks the rules will be liable to lose support. Breaking
the rules may also affect their claim for asylum.

Will asylum seekers take local jobs?

No, they will not take jobs. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work
while their application is being processed.

Will asylum seekers still be able to do voluntary work?

Yes, and we shall encourage them to do so. It is important that
people are able to get involved in purposeful activities while their
asylum claim is being assessed, building up skills that they can use
in the future either in the UK or in their countries of origin.

How long will asylum seekers be in an accommodation centre?

The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 places a six-month
time limit on the period asylum-seekers may be required to remain in
a centre, extendable to a maximum of nine months in certain,
appropriate, circumstances. It is our firm intention to process
claims within that timescale but if, after that time, their cases
have not been concluded, asylum seekers will be moved out of the
centres into a dispersal area, unless they choose to remain in the
centre.

Will those who are allowed to stay in the UK then live near to their
accommodation centre?

Once somebody has been given the right to live in the UK they can
live anywhere, but we intend that the responsibility for integrating
accommodation centre residents who are allowed to stay should not
fall disproportionately on communities near accommodation centres.

When will the centres be built?

This will depend upon planning consent.

What role will the independent Monitor of accommodation centres
have?

The Monitor is required to observe the operation of accommodation
centres. In particular, consider the quality and effectiveness of
accommodation and other facilities provided at the centres. This
includes the nature and enforcement of conditions of residence, the
treatment of residents, and whether, in the case of any
accommodation centre, its location prevents a need of its residents
from being met.

The Home Secretary, subject to the planning process will take
decisions on the location of accommodation centres. The Monitor(s)
will not be involved in the selection of sites. They will consider
the operation of accommodation centres, once up and running, and
will provide an annual report to the Home Secretary, which will be
laid before Parliament.

How were the sites selected?

Site selection was based on a number of factors including, for
example, the availability of land and our policy to disperse asylum
seekers away from London and Kent.

How will you consult local communities?

Consultation with the public, local service providers and agencies
has been taking place as part of the planning process, using
mechanisms agreed with the local planning authorities. We envisage
that consultation regarding new sites we decide to take forward will
follow a similar pattern.

Are you looking at any other sites?

Site searching has continued since we made our initial announcement
in January 2002, as we said it would. We have identified several
sites ourselves and a number of others have been put forward by
potential bidders.

Where are those sites?

We will not be putting into the public domain details of such sites
unless and until they are considered to be a serious prospect for
the siting of an accommodation centre.

Hasn't the Home Office announced some other sites not mentioned
above?

Yes. In January 2002 we announced that we were looking at a number
of potential sites to see if we wished to submit planning
notifications. Since then we have ruled out using the following
sites for the purpose of the trial:

Hooton Park, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire
National Energy Site Killinghome, near Grimsby, North Lincolnshire.
Throckmorton Airfield, near Pershore, Worcestershire
RAF Hemswell, West Lindsey, Lincolnshire
Sully Hospital, Barry, South Glamorgan
Air West Edinburgh (formerly RAF Turnhouse), Edinburgh

Will the accommodation centres be there long-term?

The centres are a trial of the new approach. If the trial is a
success, then we will set further centres up around the country .

How can I find out more?

You can find background information about Accommodation Centres on
pages 55 to 58 in the Government White Paper Secure Borders, Safe
Haven: Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain (Paragraphs 4.28
to 4.41) The White Paper was published on 7th February 2002. You can
access it via the Home Office website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk. or on
the following web page: http://www.official-
documents.co.uk/document/cm53/5387/cm5387.htm.

You will need to pass the mouse over the red words 'Integration with
diversity in Modern Britain' to access the web page.

The Home Office is the government department with responsibility for
deciding asylum claims and supporting asylum seekers.

If you have any questions about Accommodation Centres, which are not
answered by the factsheet, they may be e-mailed to:
INDNewPolicy@h...

Home Office

April 2003