Council leader demands more funding as Lincolnshire struggles with migration costs

Coun Martin Hill, Lincolnshire Council leader, has voiced concerns over the increasing pressures of migration on the county’s resources.

He highlighted that historically the county had taken on large numbers of the various strands of migration, including asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, Afghans, Hong Kong citizens, Ukrainians, and those arriving by boat.

Over the last year-and-a-half, the county has housed at least 500 asylum-seekers in hotels along the coast, as well as accepted nearly 1,500 Ukrainian refugees.

On top of this, Coun Hill emphasised that, while Lincolnshire has always risen to the challenge, the asylum-seeker camp plans under way at RAF Scampton could see an influx of at least a further 2,000 migrants.

He believes the government needs to acknowledge the strain on Lincolnshire’s resources. “We understand the government has a problem, but they should understand that Lincolnshire is doing more than its bit,” he said.

He said: “We are only one of two places in the country where we’re going to have these large [asylum] centres, and I think some account needs to be taken of that when you’re looking at the overall strain on our resources. It’s technically quite a challenge financially and organisationally for us.”

This, combined with challenges like verifying the age of migrants claiming to be children and the subsequent financial implications, puts a significant burden on the county.

Furthermore, the presence of migrant families has led to increased pressure on school places, resulting in additional costs for the county, as they have to arrange transportation for children to schools with available spaces.

Coun Hill said: “There’s all this going on, which at the moment we don’t feel is being properly acknowledged or paid for by the government.”

The leader believes the government should fund solutions, especially given the high costs associated with home-to-school transport.

Historically, Lincolnshire faced challenges with immigrants arriving via lorries, particularly unaccompanied children. The responsibility for these children extends until they reach the age of 25, leading to long-term financial implications.

Hamish Falconer, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Lincoln, who has been fighting to protect RAF Scampton and a potential £300 million investment for the site, agreed more needed to be done to tackle the “incredible strain”, but said the blame for pressure on local services lays “squarely with the Conservatives”.

He said: “Coun Hill is right public services are already under incredible strain here.

“I’ve opposed the Scampton plan from the beginning, but it isn’t the reason our hospital, police and transport are on their knees – blame for that lies squarely with the Conservatives.”

The Home Office is looking to open “basic, safe, and secure” accommodation sites for asylum-seekers waiting for decisions on their claims at Wethersfield in Essex and Scampton.

A Home Office spokesman said: “Delivering accommodation on surplus military sites will end the use of expensive hotels to house those arriving in small boats.

“We continue to work closely with local authorities to address the local communities’ concerns. We are working hard to deliver these sites as quickly as possible.”