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Perth and Kinross Council leaders seek more cash to house asylum seekers

Council leaders say the area needs more financial and practical support as plans are made to bring 115 more asylum seekers to Perth.

Perth Station Hotel exterior
Perth's Station Hotel will house more asylum seekers.

Perth and Kinross Council’s political groups are being urged to unite in requesting more UK Government support to house asylum seekers.

The plea, from council leader Grant Laing, comes after plans to move an additional 115 asylum seekers into two Perth hotels emerged.

Mr Laing and his deputy Eric Drysdale will this week ask fellow councillors to support a motion calling on the leaders of all political groups to write to the home secretary Suella Braverman.

Suella Braverman.
Suella Braverman. Image: PA.

The pair say they are requesting “further financial and practical assistance so that asylum seekers who arrive in Perth and Kinross can be properly looked after, in a caring and compassionate manner”.

The motion will go before a meeting of all 40 Perth and Kinross councillors on Wednesday, August 30.

Perth hotels housing hundreds of asylum seekers

Earlier this month Perth and North Perthshire, Pete Wishart criticised the Home Office over its plans to force asylum seekers to share rooms as it moves an additional 115 into Perth’s Station Hotel and Queens Hotel.

Queen's Hotel exterior. The hotel is also hosting asylum seekers in perth.
Queen’s Hotel in Perth. Image: Graham & Sibbald.

The two Leonard Street hotels currently house 81 and 54 asylum seekers respectively.

In their motion, SNP councillors Laing and Drysdale raise concern the increase is being rolled out by the UK Government “without clarity on many practical considerations”.

The motion states: “The people of Perth and Kinross have a proud history of offering support and sanctuary to those fleeing conflict – most recently from Ukraine, Afghanistan and Syria – and this will certainly continue.

“However governments must provide practical and financial resource to assist the local authority and public partners in looking after our guests.”

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