Councillors were told the Home Office has contacted Monmouthshire County Council over accommodating additional numbers of refugees and asylum seekers.
The council’s housing manager Ian Bakewell said the UK Government department has contacted all local authorities.
He said: “We’ve had as an authority, as have all local authorities, the Home Office contact us about potentially doing more related to both asylum seekers and refugees.
“We are doing a bit of preparatory work, I’m involved with that, and working on the basis we don’t want any provision we do to impact our day to day provision. On that basis the focus is on no impact on our existing housing need but it will carry potential additional demand.
“It is on the radar and the approrpiate work is being done.”
The Labour Party promised in its 2024 general election manifesto to “end asylum hotels” and Chancellor Rachel Reeves said, in June, the government would end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers by 2029. MPs have also been told the government could buy tower blocks and former student accommodation to do so.
Asylum seekers are those who arrive in a country seeking sanctuary due to fear of persecution or fleeing violence and refugees are those whose claims have been accepted and granted permission to remain. Refugees in the UK are entitled to work and can claim some benefits while asylum seekers are provided with accommodation and a small allowance to cover food, clothing and toiletries.
Monmouthshire council’s place scrutiny committee was discussing proposed changes to how it provides housing support when Conservative councillor for Shirenewton, Louise Brown, asked how Abergavenny’s status as a “town of sanctuary” impacted housing.
Sara Burch, the Abergavenny Cantref councillor and cabinet member responsible for housing, said the sanctuary programme is about supporting asylum seekers and refugees to feel welcome and doesn’t dictate where they are accommodated.
The Labour councillor said: “There’s sometimes a misunderstanding, the town of santuary doesn’t influence the number of people, refugees and asylum seekers, coming to a community it encourages them to integrate and live in that community in the same way churches support people who are homeless of any background.”
Abergavenny Town of Sanctuary was set up by community members in 2016 to connect with refugees and later assisted families resettled in the town from Syria and Afghanistan.
In September 2023 Monmouthshire County Council agreed to seek accreditation as part of the sanctuary network work and committed it to working with community groups to develop an action plan to support refugees and asylum seekers and promote and celebrate the contributions of those fleeing war or persecution to the area.
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