Campaigners have slammed Hackney Council for its failure to accommodate more asylum seekers, with refugee communities warning the borough “is facing its own refugee crisis”.
Despite Hackney MP Diane Abbott’s repeated claim that refugees are welcome in Hackney, there were only 36 asylum seekers living in the borough at the end of 2015, according to new Home Office figures.
Zoe Gardner, who works for charity Asylum Aid, said: “There are really no excuses for the figure being so low in Hackney. It shows a failure of the local authority to do their bit.
“The government’s distribution scheme needs revisiting because there are very few asylum seekers in London as a whole.”
The figures show that the majority of asylum seekers live in urban areas outside the south-east, with boroughs including Liverpool, Middlesborough and Rochdale each housing more than 1,000.
The statistics cover asylum seekers receiving support while their asylum application is being considered, known as section 95 support.
The number of asylum seekers receiving section 95 support in Hackney pales in comparison to some of its neighbouring boroughs.
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Ms Gardner said: “It’s not just a question of government policy. Councils absolutely need to step up and take in more refugees.
“This is especially true in diverse areas like Hackney, which are traditionally very welcoming. It’s a question of making the local authorities run out of excuses.”
In a statement released in February, Hackney Council said it has signed up to the government’s pledge to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees over the course of the current parliament, with 25 Syrian families due to arrive in the borough in April.
‘Inadequate’ response
This response remains “inadequate”, according to Ali Aksoy, from the Hackney Refugee Forum, an umbrella organisation composed of refugee groups in the borough.
He said: “The council definitely has good intentions, but intentions are not enough.
“We were originally told these Syrian refugees would be coming in February, then March, but now the deadline has been put back to April.
“It shouldn’t take this long to bring refugees over here and we need to take in many many more.
“Just think [of] the people suffering in places like Macedonia, Greece. People are dying every day. They cannot afford to wait any longer.”
Mr Aksoy also implored the government to allocate more resources for the support and integration of refugees and asylum seekers.
“Hackney is facing its own refugee crisis because the resources are simply not there to help them,” he said.
“Support groups have suffered massively from the cuts since 2010. Many refugees in Hackney are living in terrible, frightening conditions.
“There are Syrians sleeping rough on the streets, and others on the floor in their friends’ sitting room.”
Mr Aksoy added that rocketing rent prices in Hackney have forced many voluntary groups out of the borough.
He said: “The support systems are simply not there. Ten years ago there were six Somali refugee organisations here. Now we have none.”
In a statement released on 10 February, Hackney Council said: “Hackney has a long history of offering support to refugees.
“We’re currently working with other councils, central government, refugee organisations, and other partner agencies to develop a robust resettlement model for the borough, to identify the best package of assistance we can offer Syrian refugees.”
Diane Abbott to join campaigners welcoming refugees
Campaigners from the borough will be joined by Diane Abbott at a Refugees Welcome march in Trafalgar Square on Saturday.
Sasha Simic, from the Hackney branch of Unite Against Racism, said: “There has been a huge outpouring of sympathy from the people of Hackney towards refugees.
“The march is about showing solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers, and making clear to the government their response to the migrant crisis has been disgraceful and that refugees are welcome here in Hackney.”
In February 2016 Abbott told Hackney Post: “Hackney has a tradition of welcoming refugees into the community.
“I want all politicians to show that, for the British people, refugees are welcome. We have to counter the propaganda from UKIP.”
In November 2015, at an event to welcome refugees in north London Abbott said: “Just as our hearts goes out to Syrians struggling, dying, suffering and drowning, our hearts should also go out to economic migrants in Nigeria, Eritrea and north Africa, struggling, drowning and suffering. Economic migrants are not a lesser cause.”
In September 2015, speaking before a mass rally aimed at welcoming refugees, Abbott said: “Britain has a proud tradition of welcoming those in need of help.
“It is time for our government and fortress Europe to respond with humanity – I am proud to join this rally which will say loud and clear refugees welcome here.”
Featured image credit: Tnarik Innael via flickr
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