Asylum Seeker FAQs
Will Flintshire County Council be welcoming asylum seekers?
As of February 2024, the Council is preparing to welcome the first arrival of asylum seekers, including families, adult women and adult males, to the county. Housing will be supplied by Clearsprings Ready Homes, the leading provider of accommodation services to the Home Office.
Every local council in Wales, Scotland and England has agreed to a proposed number of bedspaces within their area. For each property that has a ‘bedspace,’ local councils are given the opportunity to feedback on this property proposal and highlight any issues or concerns about the property location, the type of property as well as any health and safety aspects of the building that would need to be addressed before people could be move into the accommodation.
How will children receive education support?
Flintshire has a specialist team who provide support where children have English or Welsh as a second language, and we will consider the capacity of this team when we have a better understanding of the specific needs of any children when or if they are placed.
What will happen for people with safeguarding issues?
Some asylum seekers have been through significant trauma before arriving in the UK or may have specific needs and may require additional support in integrating locally.
Any issues will be raised with the Home Office and Migrant Help, who the Home Office contract to provide support to asylum seekers, accordingly. In addition, some service users with specific needs will be referred to the relevant Local Authority team for a care and support assessment.
What induction will service users be given on arrival?
Within one calendar day of arrival in dispersal accommodation, service users will be provided with a ‘move in’ briefing service, which includes:
- the operation of safety equipment and facilities
- information on the kinds of services people can expect
- information about behavioural expectations
- signposting to Migrant Help
- how to register with a local GP and dentist
- information on the local area, including the location of local shops, amenities and facilities.
After seven calendar days an additional ‘move in’ briefing service is provided.
What facilities will be available to asylum seekers?
Asylum seekers will typically be given shared family rooms, communal areas to relax and watch TV and meet each other as well as access to Wi-Fi and shuttle transport, provided by Clearpsprings, to places of worship and medical appointments etc if they need it.
Are asylum seekers able to move freely around the local area?
Asylum seekers are not detained and are at liberty to leave the site or stay at other locations than their allocated accommodation if they inform the Home Office and housing provider.
If an individual with a known vulnerability leaves to live elsewhere and does not inform the Home Office or provider where they will be living, a safeguarding representative will then inform the Home Office, the Local Authority and the Police.
As asylum seekers are not allowed to work, what activities will asylum seekers be able to do during the day/evening?
The housing provider will typically provide TV, Wi-Fi and games that are often donated by local charities. Residents are free to leave and may use the shuttle transport to visit local places of worship etc.
How will families and individuals be supported to integrate into the local community?
We welcome support from local groups and agencies to support the newly arrived asylum seekers to integrate socially.
Health
What kind of medical support and signposting will be available?
Newly arriving asylum seekers are offered registration with local GPs (local NHS advise which GP surgeries are available). Thereafter, individuals are offered the same NHS services as all other UK residents.
An initial meeting has been held with the GP collaborative leads in Flintshire, and ongoing discussions will be held with to ensure that the impact on the health system is minimised.
Will there be extra NHS resources, for example GPs or dentists? It is already very difficult to get appointments, especially at the dentist.
An Enhanced Service payment is in place for GP Practices to support them in providing general medical services to asylum seekers. The Community Dental Service has a specific remit to deliver care to vulnerable patient groups and therefore they will be asked to see any patients who have an urgent dental need. Routine dental care is not made available.
What checks does the Home Office undertake to ensure that public health considerations are factored into dispersal operations? Will any of the occupants have any communicable diseases, and how will this be verified?
Under new guidance, no-one who identifies themselves as having or presents with symptoms (including those who test positive) for contagious infection at the Manston initial processing site on first arrival will progress further into the asylum accommodation estate.
Asylum-seekers will either remain at a site in Kent called Manston, isolating for a short period, or be routed to designated isolation accommodation which the Home Office has in the Southeast of England. This new pathway complements existing health services provided immediately on arrival at the Western Jet Foil (WJF) site and the 24/7 healthcare provision offered at Manston, which includes a bespoke diphtheria vaccination offer.
The Home Office have also developed a screening and testing process for infectious diseases in consultation with the NHS. The Home Office also work with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on the robustness of our testing and screening procedures for infectious diseases, including (but not limited to) Diphtheria.
Containing the spread of diphtheria and other potential infections, and treating those who present with symptoms, is a joint endeavour between the Home Office, UKHSA, local NHS services and local authorities. We know that the asylum-seeking population has a higher risk of infection compared to the general public – in part due to disrupted health coverage and lower vaccination rates in their countries of origin, and overcrowded conditions on their journey to the UK. Severity varies and most cases are low risk.
The Health Board has an Initial Health Assessment Service that will ensure that all appropriate screening, including vaccination and immunisation, can be offered.
Community Safety
Have all the occupant’s identities been verified and checked? What criminal records checks have been undertaken how and when?
The UK Government has a duty to protect the security of the UK and the safety of its citizens, and all asylum seekers undergo security checks against immigration and police databases to identify those who may have been involved in criminality both in the UK or abroad – including war crimes, crimes against humanity and terrorism.
What identify documents will people have?
Some asylum seekers will have their own passports or travel documents. However, many asylum seekers arrive without documentation and checks are made upon arrival to establish identity. Those staying in Flintshire will be issued with an asylum registration card (ARC) once they have submitted their asylum application.
Have risk assessments been carried out?
The Home Office require that our accommodation providers routinely and regularly assess risk when delivering contract requirements. This includes assessing the use of individual locations, as well as the more general, system wide risk, of the use of other forms of accommodation, such as hotels.
Further information
A guide to the contracts for Clearsprings/Ready Homes and Migrant Help can be found here.
Further information on measures taken to improve the asylum accommodation system can be found here: