For too long, the Home Office has not prioritised community cohesion in its approach to asylum accommodation, no doubt at least partly because that is the responsibility of another department. The Home Office has failed to properly engage with local communities, and as a result has missed opportunities to proactively communicate its approach to asylum accommodation and address local concerns. The lack of engagement and transparency has left space for misinformation and mistrust to grow, which...

For too long, the Home Office has not prioritised community cohesion in its approach to asylum accommodation, no doubt at least partly because that is the responsibility of another department. The Home Office has failed to properly engage with local communities, and as a result has missed opportunities to proactively communicate its approach to asylum accommodation and address local concerns. The lack of engagement and transparency has left space for misinformation and mistrust to grow, which in too many areas has led to tensions and undermined the ability of local partners to promote social cohesion. (Conclusion, Paragraph 172) Type: conclusion | Number: 39 | Response status: not_addressed Government response: The Home Office undertakes engagement at various levels of seniority across government, with local authorities, and other statutory partners concerning asylum accommodation in local authority areas. For dispersed accommodation, the Home Office meets with local authorities from