More than half of asylum seekers live in poorest third of the UK

More than half of all asylum seekers live in the poorest third of the country according to a Guardian analysis published today.

Asylum hostels are concentrated in the lowest income areas whilst the richest third of the country houses just ten per cent of all asylum seekers.

Ten local authorities are responsible for supporting more than one third of all asylum seekers in the UK including Manchester, Bolton, Rochdale, Nottingham, Leicester and Swansea, all of which are in the poorest 25 per cent in the country.

Read: Britain allocates £1bn to keep Syrian refugees close to home

Labour MP and chair of the home affairs select committee, Yvette Cooper, has said “it’s a deeply unfair shambles”. Other politicians have called for a complete overhaul of the dispersal system.

In 2012 the Conservatives privatised housing for asylum seekers, giving contracts to G4S, Serco and Clearsprings who bought houses in poor parts of the country.

The Guardian’s analysis also reveals that asylum seekers are sent “overwhelmingly” to areas with Labour-led councils.

Labour MP for Rochdale Simon Danczuk said: “They are avoiding putting asylum seekers in Conservative areas. It’s completely deliberate. I think it’s appalling.”

In Theresa May’s Maidenhead constituency there are four asylum seekers whilst in Jeremy Corbyn’s Islington North constituency there are 28.