Glasgow Asylum Housing Pause Explained: Costs Rise in 2026

Glasgow’s deputy leader, Ricky Bell, has proposed a temporary halt to new asylum seeker housing placements. This move aims to alleviate pressure on the city’s housing system, which is currently struggling with rising homelessness costs and a significant number of asylum seekers. Bell argues that Glasgow is disproportionately carrying the burden of housing individuals seeking protection across Scotland.

The financial strain on Glasgow City Council is substantial. The council anticipates that costs related to refugees will climb to nearly £75 million by the 2027-28 fiscal year. In the 2025-26 period alone, the cost of addressing applications from refugees reached £38 million. Bell suggests that neighboring councils with available housing should take on a larger share of placements to create breathing room for Glasgow.

This proposed pause is intended as a temporary measure, a “circuit break,” while the government considers providing additional funding or adjusting relevant policies. Bell emphasized that this is not about ending Glasgow’s commitment to housing those in need, but rather about finding a more sustainable and equitable approach.

Bell Wants Neighboring Councils to Absorb More Placements

Ricky Bell believes that Glasgow’s council taxpayers are bearing the weight of housing refugees for the entire country. His proposal for a redistribution of asylum seeker placements would involve utilizing vacant properties in surrounding areas. This would help ease the immediate pressure on Glasgow’s housing queue, where local residents are also seeking homes.

Bell stated that this arrangement should benefit both existing residents and new arrivals. The goal is to ensure a positive experience for everyone involved. He also called on the UK Government to either cover the financial consequences of its asylum rules or revise those rules. Currently, the council faces significant costs without adequate support or policy changes from the government.

The council’s request has two main components: immediate relief from new placements and a long-term solution for the costs incurred when individuals transition out of the asylum system. This transition period often leads to increased demand for local authority housing support.

The Pressure Rises When Asylum Claims End

The Home Office is responsible for housing asylum seekers while their claims are being processed. Once an individual is granted leave to remain, they may need to seek assistance from Glasgow’s local authority if they do not have a place to live. This transition point creates a secondary challenge for the city’s housing services.

In Scotland, individuals seeking asylum do not have a right to local authority social housing until they have been granted leave to remain and are officially recognized as refugees. This means that after their asylum claims are approved, they often turn to the local council for housing. Between April and September 2025, nearly half of Glasgow’s homelessness applications came from individuals with refugee status or leave to remain. Refugee households accounted for 44% of these applications during that period.

Glasgow’s council leader, Susan Aitken, has previously stated that the city has run out of temporary accommodation options. The use of hotels for temporary housing has been described as a very expensive solution. The council has also made efforts to increase housing supply, bringing over 3,500 empty homes back into use in recent years with the help of NG Homes. However, these efforts do not fully address the imbalance between citywide housing demand and the specific locations designated for asylum dispersal. Bell’s proposal specifically targets this geographical disparity.

Glasgow’s Figures Combine a Large Caseload with Rising Costs

The financial figures highlight the growing challenge for Glasgow. Refugee-related homelessness costs were £27 million in 2024/25. The cost of addressing refugee applications is projected to rise from £38 million in 2025-26 to an estimated £56 million in 2026-27, and nearly £75 million in 2027-28.

These figures represent different aspects of the housing crisis. The £27 million covers general refugee-related costs, while the later forecasts focus on expected spending for homelessness applications from refugees. The application count of 3,895 covers a six-month period, and the figure of around 4,500 asylum seekers in Home Office accommodation is a current estimate. The number of empty homes brought back into use, over 3,500, shows proactive measures to increase housing stock.

The Dispute Has Split Responsibility Between Three Governments

The issue has become a point of contention involving local, Scottish, and UK governments. Dr. Zubir Ahmed, the Glasgow South West MP, has written to the Home Secretary requesting a pause on further asylum accommodation in Glasgow until provision is better distributed across the country. He assured that Glasgow would continue to play its part in welcoming people fleeing persecution. Ahmed also raised concerns that poorer communities should not bear a disproportionate share of asylum accommodation simply because housing is cheaper there.

Shirley-Anne Somerville, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing, has placed responsibility for asylum dispersal accommodation with the UK Home Office. She acknowledged the pressure on Glasgow and attributed the problem to the “UK Government’s mismanagement of asylum policy.” The Scottish Government has stated its support for Glasgow’s call for adequate funding and has pledged to make a “meaningful contribution” to resolving the issue. However, Glasgow is seeking clarity on the nature and extent of this support, as the funding question remains unresolved.

A UK Government spokesperson indicated that efforts are underway to move refugees from asylum accommodation and reduce homelessness risks. They noted an increase in the grace period from 28 to 42 days for individuals leaving asylum accommodation. The government is also reducing the number of dispersal properties in Glasgow through planned hand-backs, while simultaneously increasing accommodation in other parts of Scotland.

Handbacks Could Reduce Arrivals, But They Will Not Settle the Funding Dispute

These measures might decrease the number of new asylum placements in Glasgow if more properties become available elsewhere. However, they do not directly address the council’s financial obligations for refugee-related homelessness applications after individuals receive leave to remain and seek assistance from the local authority. This distinction is central to the ongoing dispute.

Handing back dispersal properties affects the Home Office’s accommodation network. It does not automatically provide Glasgow with temporary accommodation, social housing, or funding for homelessness assistance for refugees. The Scottish Government has publicly supported Glasgow’s request for adequate funding, identifying UK government asylum policy as the root cause of the pressure on local authorities. The political debate is occurring alongside reports of false online claims linking some Glasgow housing to asylum accommodation, which have prompted police investigations. The immediate focus will be on whether planned property hand-backs and increased provision elsewhere offer Glasgow some relief. The longer-term challenge lies in reaching an agreement on financial responsibility when asylum decisions lead to individuals moving from Home Office accommodation into the local homelessness system.

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