UK government planning to put migrants into university student accommodation

The Home Office submitted planning to Leeds County Council.

A building in Leeds, which is currently being used as student accommodation, could be turned into housing for asylum seekers in the future following proposals by the Home Office.

Leeds Country Council confirmed that they received a planning submission from the Home Office about using Mary Morris House in Headingley as 'accommodation for non-students.'

They further added that the department stated that it was part of wider efforts to cut the reliance on hotels for asylum seekers.

A spokesperson for the council said the authority did not own the building, and explained that any move towards changing the building's occupancy would be 'Home Office-led.'

The Home Office said in a statement that it was working to 'end the use of asylum hotels by the end of this parliament.'

Additionally, Leeds City Council claimed that the Home Office was seeking a Certificate of Proposed Lawful Development which would confirm the proposed use did not require planning permission.

The decision whether to award the certificate will be made next month, and is 'based solely on factual evidence and planning law, not the planning merits of the proposed use.'

The council spokesperson added that residents' groups were informed of the potential change, and that it was 'committed to further engagement with the community.'

"Leeds is a welcoming city which has been built on the values of tolerance, unity and respect for one another, and we remain committed to upholding those values.

"We hope the announcement of these details will reassure local residents that we will be engaging fully with them with regard to the Home Office's proposals for Mary Morris House," they added.

The council highlighted that the building, which has 247 bedrooms, is currently occupied by fee-paying students.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said the department was: "continuing to work closely with stakeholders across the country, including other government departments and local authorities, to fulfil our statutory obligations and deliver our commitments to reduce the cost of asylum accommodation, and end the use of asylum hotels by the end of this parliament".

"We will continue to work with partners across all regions and nations of the UK to manage the use of asylum accommodation responsibly," they added.