Claim: “Asylum seekers are housed ahead of local people”
Claim summary:
Supporters of Reform UK and other commentators argue that asylum seekers are given priority over local residents for housing, particularly social housing, pushing people who have “paid in” to the back of the queue.
Verdict: ❌ Misleading
What is being claimed
The claim suggests that:
- Asylum seekers are prioritised over local people for council housing
- Migrants are placed directly into social housing ahead of long-term residents
- Housing shortages are caused or worsened by asylum accommodation policy
This framing implies a single housing queue in which asylum seekers are moved ahead of others.
That is not how the system works.
Asylum accommodation is not social housing
Asylum seekers are not allocated council or social housing while their claims are being processed.
Instead, the Home Office has a statutory duty to provide temporary asylum accommodation to people who would otherwise be destitute. This accommodation is:
- Separate from council housing waiting lists
- Not allocated by local authorities
- Usually provided in hotels, hostels, or privately contracted properties
Asylum seekers do not enter local housing registers while awaiting a decision.
Source:
UK Government – Asylum support: accommodation
Local people and asylum seekers are not in the same queue
Social housing is allocated by local councils according to housing allocation schemes, which prioritise:
- Homeless households
- People in overcrowded or unsafe accommodation
- Medical or safeguarding needs
Eligibility is based on housing need, not nationality or length of residence.
Asylum seekers are explicitly excluded from joining social housing waiting lists until and unless they are granted refugee status.
Source:
UK Parliament – Who can apply for social housing
What happens if someone is granted asylum
If an asylum seeker is granted refugee status, they may then:
- Apply for social housing on the same basis as anyone else
- Be assessed under local council criteria
- Compete according to need, not preference
They do not receive automatic priority and can still wait years for permanent housing.
This process mirrors that faced by any other eligible applicant experiencing homelessness.
Source:
Shelter – How councils allocate social housing
Why the claim persists
The claim often arises because:
- Asylum accommodation (such as hotels) is highly visible
- Housing shortages are severe and long-standing
- Responsibility is split between central government and councils
Temporary asylum accommodation can appear to bypass local systems, but this reflects a parallel emergency duty, not queue-jumping.
Housing shortages in the UK are primarily linked to long-term under-supply, planning constraints, and funding decisions rather than asylum allocations.
Source:
Institute for Government – Why England has a housing shortage
Conclusion
Asylum seekers are not housed ahead of local people in social housing.
They are placed in separate, temporary accommodation under a different legal duty and are excluded from council housing registers until they receive refugee status. Even then, they are assessed under the same criteria as everyone else.
The claim conflates two different systems and misrepresents how housing allocation works.
Verdict: ❌ Misleading