Reform Lancashire: Putting Local People First on Housing and Support

REFORM-LED LANCASHIRE COUNCIL TO WITHDRAW FROM REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT SCHEME

Lancashire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs, Environment and Communities Joshua Roberts has announced his intention to withdraw the local authority from the government’s refugee resettlement scheme.

This scheme was accepted and introduced by the previous Conservative administration in 2015 and has cost the taxpayer an average of £7 million per year. As recently as March 2025, the previous Conservative administration approved plans to continue and expand its involvement in the scheme.

At a time when many Lancashire residents are struggling to access housing, this scheme takes homes, which could have been used to house residents – including veterans facing homelessness - off the market for up to around three months in advance, only to sit empty at the taxpayer’s expense. It is estimated that this affects hundreds of properties across Lancashire, placing significant pressure on the local housing market.

Under this scheme, council resources are also used to provide extensive support, cash on arrival, culturally-themed welcome baskets, utility bill cover, and assistance registering with GPs and arranging Jobcentre appointments to access benefits. Meanwhile, local residents are left to navigate these same systems on their own.

This move would mean that LCC would no longer resettle refugees that have arrived in the UK under the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) and the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP), which has resettled almost 38,000 Afghans across the UK at a cost of £3 billion, with over 4,000 Afghans found to have been resettled under a secret route protected by a super-injunction.

Reform UK Shadow Home Secretary Zia Yusuf said:

^{“These schemes have only served to prioritise recent arrivals and foreign nationals ahead of the British public. Reform UK in Lancashire is putting an end to a shameful Conservative policy which shoved British people to the back of the queue for housing and council services.}

^{“On May 7th, it is only Reform UK that is standing to ensure that councils across England put British people first.”}

Lancashire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs, Environment and Communities Joshua Roberts said:

^{“This proposal is about fairness. Reform UK was elected last May to make sure that the people who live, work and contribute to Lancashire are put at the front of the queue and are not disadvantaged.}

^{“We are calling on the Labour Government to stop placing refugees in Lancashire and instead redirect public funds to better support our vulnerable residents and veterans. These people have been deprioritised by successive Labour and Conservative governments for far too long.”}

The current resettlement scheme places significant pressure on housing, public services, and officer resources, creating a clear imbalance between support offered to new arrivals and that available to existing residents.

As it stands, LCC is expected to source housing in the private rented sector for refugees, as well as provide integration casework and interpretation for up to three years.

^{Notes to editors:}

^{Resettlement Schemes are the ‘safe and legal routes’ for refugees to enter the UK. They are central government schemes and delivered by local authorities.}

^{Since 2015, Lancashire County Council has coordinated the resettlement schemes on behalf of the 14 councils across Lancashire.}

^{This proposal would withdraw LCC from discretionary Resettlement Schemes. This means that visa routes currently coordinated by LCC such as the Homes For Ukraine Scheme - which the council has a legal obligation to provide - would remain unaffected.}

^{This proposal will go to the Cabinet in the summer to be formally decided.}