A Reform council is set to become the first in history to withdraw from the government’s refugee resettlement scheme as it promises to ‘put British people first’.
Reform has announced that it will pull the local authority out of the UK resettlement scheme, launched in 2021 by the Conservative Government to provide newly–arrived legal refugees with housing, healthcare, education and employment support.
But the north west council run by Nigel Farage’s insurgent party is now calling time on the scheme, arguing it has forced the authority to place the needs of those just arrived in the country ahead of long–term residents.
The party says the scheme has also seen council resources spent on providing extensive support for refugees, including cash on arrival, culturally–themed welcome baskets, utility bill cover, and assistance registering with GPs and arranging Jobcentre appointments to access benefits.
It contrasts this with local residents, including veterans facing homelessness, having to fend for themselves without similar support.
The move will mean that Lancashire County Council will no longer resettle refugees that have arrived in Britain under the UK Resettlement Scheme, and the Afghan Resettlement Programme.
It is understood that the support for Ukrainian refugees will remain in place, however.
Reform UK Home Affairs spokesman (R) Zia Yusuf said the policy will ‘put British people first’
Reform–run Lancashire County Council is the first in the country to make the move
The party’s Home Affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf argued: ‘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.’
The council’s cabinet member for communities, Joshua Roberts, added that the move is about ‘fairness’ to place local Lancastrians ‘at the front of the queue’.
Mr Roberts added: ‘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 new proposal by Reform will go to the council’s Cabinet this summer to be formally signed off.
It is also understood that other Reform councils will shortly follow suit as soon as possible.
Mr Farage’s party took control of Lancashire last may, winning 53 of the 84 seats on the authority and forming a majority.
