Exploring Refugees Impact Glasgow Housing Challenges

Refugees impact Glasgow housing has become a pivotal concern in the current election campaign, despite immigration not being under the direct purview of the Scottish Parliament. On May 7, the elected Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) will not influence immigration policy set by Westminster. Nevertheless, every political party holds strong opinions on the matter. According to a recent BBC poll, it ranks among the most pressing issues for voters. BBC Verify is investigating claims by political figures about how asylum and migration influence housing in Glasgow. Scotland, akin to the rest of the UK, has seen a notable increase in immigration over recent years. The rise is largely attributed to official channels such as international student visas. However, the political discourse overly focuses on the diminutive segment arriving through unofficial means, like small boats crossing the English Channel, particularly impacting Glasgow. Glasgow has long grappled with housing shortages and was the first city in Scotland to declare this a crisis in 2023. A significant factor contributing to this issue is the interplay between the Home Office’s efforts to clear backlogs of individuals awaiting asylum decisions and Glasgow's homelessness policies. Currently, more than 6,500 individuals in Scotland are seeking asylum and receiving housing support from the Home Office, representing 6% of the total in the UK. Many reside in social housing or hotels as they await decisions regarding their future in the UK. Over half of these individuals are in Glasgow, which accommodates the highest number of asylum seekers among all local authorities in the UK, including 3,683 who receive housing support and an additional 152 who benefit from other financial assistance without housing. Since signing up for the Home Office's dispersal scheme in 1999, Glasgow has become a focal point for housing those who arrive in the UK seeking asylum. A shift in Home Office policy in 2022 towards a "full dispersal" model enables asylum seekers to be assigned to any council area, suggesting a gradual decline in Glasgow's overall share of Scotland's asylum seekers. Nevertheless, many still prefer Glasgow for its established support networks including communities, charities, and faith-based organizations. Asylum seekers receiving Home Office support in Glasgow are currently accommodated in long-term housing rather than temporary hotel stays, which is the case in other areas of the country. They benefit from complimentary meals and housing, along with a daily allowance of £1.42, but are typically prohibited from working while their claims are assessed. Once the assessment concludes, those permitted to stay must vacate Home Office accommodations. Subsequently, many seek homelessness support from the local council. Organizations like Shelter Scotland and the Scottish Refugee Council argue that the current system essentially leads to "homelessness by design," because the timeframe to secure employment or housing is insufficient. Between April and September 2025, Glasgow recorded 3,895 requests for homelessness assistance, with 43% (1,685) originating from individuals with refugee status or permission to remain (excluding Ukrainians). This figure far exceeds the overall Scottish average of 15%, with other cities like Edinburgh reporting 29%. Due to a limited housing supply, the council often resorts to utilizing hotels or bed and breakfasts to accommodate the homeless. Glasgow City Council noted that addressing requests from refugees cost £38 million in 2025-26, with projections estimating this could escalate to £56 million in the upcoming year, and further to £74 million by 2027-28. During a recent election debate organized by BBC Scotland, Reform UK's Scottish leader Malcolm Offord claimed that asylum seekers who arrive in Glasgow receive priority over other services, akin to "jumping the queue" for housing. The Scottish Conservatives have echoed similar sentiments, suggesting that the influx of asylum seekers diminishes housing availability for local residents. However, the contention lies not in special treatment for refugees, but rather in the prioritization of homeless individuals over those simply awaiting permanent accommodation. Scottish councils bear the responsibility to house anyone considered "unintentionally homeless." Legislative changes enacted by MSPs in 2003 relaxed the requirements for applicants seeking support to bolster homeless rights, making local authorities more accountable for assisting them. As a result, when a housing unit becomes available, councils often allocate it to a homeless family, potentially a refugee family, fulfilling legal obligations and reducing hotel or B&B costs. Currently, Glasgow faces over 6,000 outstanding applications for permanent housing and more than 4,200 households in temporary accommodations, with no fixed duration for waiting lists. This leads to frustration for families that have waited for months or years as they see others, often homeless refugees, move into apartments ahead of them. These challenges are particularly heightened by the Home Office’s ongoing efforts to resolve a significant backlog of outstanding asylum claims. There is hope that once this backlog is addressed, the number of individuals exiting Home Office housing will stabilize. In the meantime, the council has requested additional support, and the Home Office is implementing Asylum Move-On Liaison Officers to assist people leaving their housing. Recently, the duration allocated for individuals granted asylum to leave Home Office housing was extended from 28 to 42 days. Both Reform and the Conservatives advocate reintroducing a "local connection" rule to the homelessness system, which was removed in 2022. This rule would allow the council to refer individuals without links to Glasgow back to areas where they have connections, like workplaces or family. Housing Secretary Mairi McAllan explained that suspending this rule was crucial for those fleeing situations like domestic abuse, allowing them to choose their residence instead of being sent back to distant locations for housing support. However, both the Scottish Government and Shelter Scotland assert that reinstating this local connection rule would have minimal impact on refugees, as such provisions never applied to them. Unlike their counterparts in England and Wales, those awaiting asylum decisions in Scotland are not viewed as connected to the area where they are temporarily housed, as they have no choice in the matter. What some parties are seeking is effectively a framework that prioritizes local residents waiting for permanent housing. When pressed for comments on the fate of homeless refugees, Offord remarked that those admitted to England via the Home Office should return to England for housing. A concise overview of the positions held by major political parties concerning immigration and other significant campaign topics has been compiled by BBC Scotland. The guide reflects the commitments made by these parties throughout the election. The Scottish National Party (SNP) seeks a dedicated Scottish visa scheme from the UK government while advocating for the devolution of migration policy to better suit Scotland’s labor needs. The Scottish Greens also aim for the devolution of immigration policy and propose funding for councils to supply asylum housing, moving away from relying on hotels. In contrast, the Scottish Conservatives maintain that no individual who has entered the UK unlawfully should qualify for asylum and plan on withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). They also intend to eliminate all asylum hotels. The Scottish Labour Party advocates for a controlled migration strategy that ensures Scotland attracts necessary skills while maintaining border security across the UK. Additionally, the Scottish Liberal Democrats aim to declare the asylum claims backlog a national emergency and hire 2,000 caseworkers to help address it while closing asylum hotels. Reform UK supports the expulsion of illegally entering immigrants and seeks to revoke Glasgow's status as a primary dispersal location for successful asylum seekers. The overarching issue of the housing crisis in Glasgow and Scotland remains crucial. All political factions acknowledge that the primary solution is increasing housing availability. However, recent Scottish government data indicates a decline in housing completions and starts. In 2025, only 17,336 new homes were constructed, reflecting a 13% reduction from the previous year, while 14,999 new builds initiated marked a 6% drop. Shelter Scotland warns that the Scottish government is likely to miss its objective of 110,000 new affordable homes by 2032. Additionally, Homes for Scotland, which represents 200 industry firms, cautioned that new housing starts are on a "catastrophic trajectory" and may plummet due to a "chronic shortage" of land for development. Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly0g184l9ro

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