THE number of asylum seekers in receipt of support from, or resettled by, local authorities across the UK for the year ending September 2024 have been revealed.

New government figures released yesterday (November 28) show that, from December 2021 to September 2024, the following asylum seekers were supported in the coastal region of North Wales:

  • Conwy County Borough Council – 73 asylum seekers supported (14th-most in Wales)
  • Denbighshire County Council – 94 asylum seekers supported (11th-most in Wales)
  • Gwynedd Council – 139 asylum seekers supported (ninth-most in Wales)
  • Isle of Anglesey County Council – 20 asylum seekers supported (third-least in Wales)

In Wales, a total of 36,648 asylum seekers have been supported in this time period, with the UK-wide figure amounting to 109,024.

Much of this was support in North Wales was “section 95” support, which helps those who have an asylum claim or appeal outstanding, and failed asylum seekers who had children in their household when their appeal rights were exhausted.

Though, Gwynedd Council also provided “section 4” support, which is available when an asylum application has been finally determined as refused, but they are destitute and there are reasons that temporarily prevent them from leaving the UK.

The vast majority of these councils’ support for asylum seekers was through providing “dispersal accommodation” which is provided to those whose claim for asylum support has been agreed.

Occupants of dispersal accommodation are permitted to stay there while they remain eligible for asylum support.

To some asylum seekers, Denbighshire County Council also provided “subsistence only” support - financial assistance to those who have somewhere to stay but need money for essential living costs.

Meanwhile, from December 2021 to September 2024, the following numbers of asylum seekers were resettled in each of these counties:

  • Conwy - 0
  • Denbighshire - 6 (All in 2024, all via the UK Resettlement Scheme)
  • Gwynedd - 4 (All in 2023, all via the UK Resettlement Scheme Community Sponsorship Scheme)
  • Isle of Anglesey - 2 (All in 2022, all via the UK Resettlement Scheme)

The total in Wales in this regard was 50, and in the UK, the final figure was 1,591.

Immigration groups in each of these counties were stated to be as follows:

Conwy

  • Homes for Ukraine (arrivals) – 172
  • Afghan resettlement programme – 7
  • Supported asylum – 7

Total – 186 (0.16 per cent of county's population)

Denbighshire

  • Homes for Ukraine (arrivals) – 144
  • Afghan resettlement programme – 51
  • Supported asylum – 38

Total – 233 (0.24 per cent of county's population)

Gwynedd

  • Homes for Ukraine (arrivals) – 268
  • Afghan resettlement programme – 15
  • Supported asylum – 38

Total – 321 (0.27 per cent of county's population)

Anglesey

  • Homes for Ukraine (arrivals) – 103
  • Afghan resettlement programme – 20
  • Supported asylum – 10

Total – 133 (0.19 per cent of county's population)

The figures released yesterday showed Home Office spending on asylum rose by £1.43billion in the 2023-24 financial year to a record £5.38bn – 36 per cent higher than in 2022-23, when £3.95bn was spent.

The data also found that the number of asylum seekers living in hotels has increased since Labour won the UK general election in July.