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Manchester Road, Huddersfield: factsheet

Updated 22 May 2024

Version 3.0

May 2024

Why do we need asylum accommodation sites?

We remain committed to meeting our legal obligation to support asylum-seekers who would otherwise be destitute.

The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has put our asylum system under incredible strain.

We have been clear that the use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unsustainable and the Home Office is committed to making every effort to reduce hotel use and limit the burden on the taxpayer.

What is the Home Office using new asylum accommodation sites for?

Hotel accommodation (that has cost over £8 million a day), was always intended as a temporary solution necessary to meet our statutory obligation to accommodate asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.

The Home Office is making every effort to reduce reliance on hotels, including through alternative forms of accommodation.  

The introduction of new asylum accommodation sites will provide more sustainable accommodation for asylum seekers.

Site background

Manchester Road is made up of two accommodation blocks and is located in Huddersfield.

We are working closely with stakeholders, including local authorities and representatives from police, health and a private contractor who provides asylum accommodation services to ensure that accommodation provided for those seeking asylum is suitable.

Why are we using the Manchester Road site?  

The Home Secretary has a statutory duty to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.

Manchester Road has been identified as suitable for the purpose of asylum accommodation.

Manchester Road will provide basic and functional accommodation for asylum seekers.

What about reports that students were kicked out of their accommodation over the summer for this asylum accommodation?

This is untrue. The buildings were empty when enquiries began. Students who had enquired about the accommodation prior to Home Office involvement were informed by the housing company that they would need to seek alternative options.

Timescales

When will the site open? 

Work is ongoing to ensure the site is safe, legal, and compliant before any asylum seekers are moved onto to the site. We will continue to ensure stakeholders are updated as proposals to use the site progress.

The Home Office has confirmed the site will not be operational before Autumn 2024.

We will be using a phased approach, gradually increasing the number of asylum seekers accommodated over time, with the site under constant review.

The site can accommodate about 670 individuals when fully operational.

Illegal migration 

What happens to migrants once they arrive in the UK by small boat? 

Small boat crossings are dangerous, illegal and unnecessary. They endanger all those who undertake them. There have been appalling and preventable tragedies in the English Channel which must stop.

Migrant vessels are intercepted by Border Force and are brought to facilities in Dover, where people are given health and welfare checks, and the opportunity to change into warm dry clothing.  As part of the initial checks for identity and security, a search is made for any items that might harm the individual or others.  All except vulnerable cohorts (who are processed separately) are then taken to a secure short-term holding facility a few miles away at Manston.

Once at Manston, further security checks are undertaken and initial immigration processes, including taking the details of any asylum claims that may be made, commence.  People are only granted bail from immigration detention, and moved to suitable accommodation such as Manchester Road, if there are no concerns that they might pose a danger to the public.

What legislation has the government passed to tackle illegal migration?

The Nationality and Borders Act 2022 included significant measures to deter illegal entry into the UK and to remove more easily from the UK those with no right to be here. We arrest and prosecute those people who are found to facilitate or illegally smuggle people into the UK.

The Illegal Migration Act will change the law, stipulating that people who enter the UK illegally will not have their asylum claim determined in the UK. Once removed, they will not be allowed to return to the UK. (See the Illegal Migration Bill: overarching factsheet).

The Safety of Rwanda Act received Royal Assent on 25 April 2024, alongside ratification of the Treaty with Rwanda. This is a significant step forward as we work towards the delivery of a first flight to Rwanda, as set out by the Prime Minister. This legislation builds on the objectives set out in the Illegal Migration Act 2023 and the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. Together, it forms a key part of a top priority for the government to reduce the level and impact of illegal migration to the UK. The Act:

• confirms that Rwanda is a safe third country for the purposes of removing individuals to Rwanda
• confirms that Rwanda has agreed to fulfil its obligations under the UK’s treaty with Rwanda
• makes clear the very limited scope for individuals to challenge their removal to Rwanda
• applies in its entirety on a UK-wide basis, including in Northern Ireland

More information can be found in the Illegal Migration Bill: overarching factsheet and the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill: factsheet.

Manchester Road in Huddersfield is a non-detained site and there is no current intention of asylum seekers being directly transferred from this site for flights to Rwanda.

Any migrant who is here illegally, including those who arrived illegally, could be in scope. Individuals in scope will be housed across the UK within a range of asylum accommodation.

Operational plans for the site 

Does the Home Office have an Operational Management Plan?  

The Home Office is developing a detailed Operational Management Plan for the site which we will continue to progress as we involve our contractual service provider.

Who is running the site? 

The site will be operated by an experienced and specialist asylum accommodation provider under the supervision of the Home Office.

Impact on the local community and services 

What impact will the number of asylum seekers accommodated at the site have on the local community?  

The Home Office are carefully considering the impact on local services including the NHS, police and fire services and we are working with local partners to take account of local issues and risks associated with the site.

What about local people living near the asylum accommodation on Manchester Road?  

We continue to work with local partners to address the concerns of those most impacted by the site and explore ways that we can keep them informed about what is happening on site.

Cohort and capacity

Who will be accommodated at the asylum accommodation site at Manchester Road?  

The first asylum seekers to be accommodated on site will be single adult males aged 18 and above.

How many asylum seekers will be accommodated at the site and will it remain as “temporary”? 

The Home Office will be using a phased approach to moving people on site and the maximum capacity is about 670 people.

The Home Office use of the site will be kept under constant review.

Will the site be at full capacity on Day 1? 

We will be using a phased approach, increasing the number of asylum seekers accommodated at the site over time with the practicalities of managing the site under constant review.

Suitability  

Is the site suitable for accommodating people?  

Under sections 95 and 98 of the Immigration Act 1999, the Home Secretary has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation.

There will be robust processes in place to assess and manage the requirements of anyone who would be accommodated at the site.

Accommodation and onsite facilities are designed to ensure the essential needs of those accommodated there are met. This includes the provision of faith and worship facilities and recreational space.

There will be a fully catered provision offering 3 meals a day, with a commercial kitchen operated by the service provider.

Legal representatives are permitted to visit the site, including Out of Hours visits where required, through a booking system and private meeting spaces and relevant equipment will be provided.

Will vulnerable people be accommodated at the site?  

In addition to the checks against policing and immigration databases at Manston, those individuals identified for the site will be subject to a suitability assessment. Guidance on the suitability criteria used can be found on GOV.UK.

Each person’s suitability will be assessed at regular intervals and if they are no longer suitable for any reason, they will be moved to alternative accommodation.

All asylum seekers in the UK may contact Migrant Help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year if they need help, advice, or guidance, that includes raising issues relating to safeguarding.

Safety and security

What checks are carried out on those arriving in the UK who are later moved to the Manchester Road site?  

Migrants arriving in small boats are taken to facilities in Dover to begin processing. Searches are undertaken at Western Jet Foil followed by robust security checks and biometric tests at Manston. This includes checks against UK and international police databases.

Anyone transferred to the site will have been through these checks. 

An allocation policy and suitability criteria will be applied to ensure that the accommodation is suitable for those who stay there.

The service provider who is running the site on behalf of the Home Office is responsible for the safeguarding of asylum seekers. Our service providers are experienced in managing asylum seeker accommodation in an orderly and secure manner.  

What kind of security measures will be put in place? 

The safety and security of the local communities, the staff and those accommodated on the sites are of the utmost importance. A specialist and experienced security provider will be working on site 24/7 and all access points will be monitored.

The Home Office will work closely with local police to ensure appropriate security arrangements are in place.

How will the Home Office ensure the personal safety of residents? 

On arrival, those resident at the site will receive a briefing and orientation about the site and the local community. In addition to information about how to access services on and off site, the briefing explains what constitutes appropriate behaviour. It sets out acceptable and unacceptable behaviours as well as their responsibilities as individuals to act as good neighbours.

If any criminal activity does occur, our providers have robust processes in place to report them to the police. Our providers are experienced at running non-detained temporary asylum accommodation with minimal impact on the local community.

Will the Home Office pay for additional security for my home?  

No, the Home Office does not provide this. Each person and/or household is responsible for making sure their property and belongings are secured and protected and this advice remains true whether there is an asylum centre in your area or not.

Asylum seekers leaving the site

What is the process for asylum seekers leaving the site on a day-to-day basis? 

Asylum seekers living at the site will not be detained and will be able to come and go. The process for leaving this site is the same as the rest our asylum accommodation. 

On arriving at the site, those resident at the site will receive a briefing and orientation about the site and the local community. This will inform them of how to access the services they will need on and off site, as well as their responsibilities and what is expected of them as good neighbours. 

The service provider, who is running the site on behalf of the Home Office, is responsible for the safeguarding of migrants and is experienced in managing asylum seeker accommodation in an orderly and secure manner.

Comparisons to other sites  

Are there any success stories from other similar sites?  

The Home Office will apply lessons learnt from other accommodation sites such as Wethersfield, the Bibby Stockholm in Portland, and hotels across the country.

The Home Office is committed to sharing best practice and will work to introduce local authority partners to share their knowledge of working within the Home Office accommodation programme.

We appreciate that there are differences in the type of accommodation but the principles of running an accommodation site remain the same.

Health care

What health care will be available to the asylum seekers?

We are working through the specifics of healthcare provision with local and national health partners through the Multi-Agency Forum (MAF) and a dedicated health workshop.

Upon arrival in the UK, all asylum seekers are offered a brief health check/ a humanitarian check at Western Jet Foil in Dover and treatment for minor injuries and minor ailments at Manston, Kent. Where necessary, service users requiring emergency health care will be admitted to local urgent treatment centres/accident and emergency departments at both sites. On site clinicians will manage and triage all non-emergency health care requirements and act accordingly.

The Home Office has procedures in place to support individuals with potential symptoms of an infectious disease, including isolation spaces and a designated isolation hotel. The local UKHSA Health Protection Team provides advice and guidance on management of individuals and contacts with a suspected infectious disease or outbreaks.  Individuals will be isolated where this is advised, and pathways are in place to safely manage the transfer of the individual into appropriate accommodation with ongoing care provided.

On arrival at Manston, individuals are offered a diphtheria vaccination in line with current UKHSA recommendations.

House prices

Can the Home Office provide any compensation for any loss in property value?

The Home Office appreciates the concerns of local residents and will continue to continue to collaborate with key stakeholders to lessen the impact of using the Manchester Road site on the local community. However, the Home Office does not intend to offer compensation for loss in property value.

Is the Home Office going to offer compensation to local community for house insurance prices going up?

As mentioned above, the Home Office appreciates the concerns of local residents and want to continue to collaborate with key stakeholders to lessen the impact of using the Manchester Road site on the local community. However, the Home Office does not intend to offer compensation for increases in home insurance.