00:00The Home Office has paused its search for new accommodation for asylum seekers here in the North East, citing sufficient capacity in the region.
00:09However, it says efforts to find properties elsewhere in the UK will continue.
00:14The move follows a similar decision in June to temporarily halt the purchase of new asylum housing here in Durham.
00:21While the government stresses that asylum seekers are accommodated based on available housing and legal obligations, not personal choice,
00:29the North East continues to house the highest number of asylum seekers per head of population than anywhere else in the UK.
00:37As of March 2025, the region hosts 27.6 asylum seekers per 10,000 people.
00:43That compares to just 7.2 in the South West and 21.2 in London.
00:48Local figures paint an even clearer picture.
00:50Middle spread leads with 47.6 asylum seekers per 10,000 residents, closely followed by Hartlepool at 47.1.
00:59Other areas with higher than average figures include South Tyneside, Newcastle and Stockton.
01:04By contrast, County Durham sits below the national average at just 8.4.
01:09The Home Office says it has a legal duty to house those who would otherwise be destitute while they await the outcome of their asylum claims.
01:18Accommodation is provided by private contractors, funded by the government, and value for money is one of the key factors in deciding on location.
01:27But what are some of your thoughts on the use of asylum hotels here in the North East?
01:31I don't. I don't agree with it at all.
01:35I mean, OK, if they have a spare room, hotels as a business, they're going to take people in.
01:41And if the government's paying them, it's a cash 22, you know what I mean?
01:48Overall, I don't think it's the best use of the money, to be honest.
01:51Because it creates a very negative view of the immigrants coming into the country.
01:58People basically get angry about it, don't they?
02:00It's like, well, this person's got a place and they've got food, or yeah, I can't get this benefit.
02:06What I mean, it looks like it's something.
02:08The problem is that it's more complicated.
02:11Yeah, I have a big problem with it, to be honest.
02:13I do. I think, yeah, we should be looking after our own first.
02:16There's a lot of people on the streets that should be looked after.
02:18Should be housed first.
02:19Who would want to be living in a hotel in a country that they didn't want to live in?
02:24But needs must, and I think ultimately integrating into the local community is the most important thing.
02:30But maybe it's a stepping stone.
02:33Andy Dermot, Chief Executive of Newcastle's West End Refugee Service, says lower housing costs in the region have made it a more frequent destination.
02:41He said more asylum seekers are being sent to the northeast simply because accommodation is cheaper.
02:47But the support infrastructure here isn't always equipped to handle that.
02:51The vast majority of asylum seekers in the northeast live in private rented housing, with only 5% placed in hotels.
02:58Here we go.
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