Ipswich Conservative Borough Councillors at the Council Meeting on Wednesday 16th July, will be putting forward the following proposal.
Request for a Temporary Pause on Asylum Dispersal and Review of Ipswich’s Town of Sanctuary Status
This Council notes:
1. That Ipswich is currently designated as a dispersal area for asylum seekers by the Home Office, with asylum accommodation contracted and arranged by private providers without the direct control of local authorities.
2. That Ipswich was named a Town of Sanctuary in 2012, committing to building a culture of welcome and inclusion for people seeking refuge.
3. That while this commitment to compassion remains important, the reality on the ground in 2025 has changed significantly. The pace and scale of immigration and asylum placements in Ipswich has placed increasing pressure on housing, schools, health services, and local infrastructure.
4. That councils across the UK have raised similar concerns:
- Glasgow City Council has called on the UK Government to stop sending asylum seekers to the city due to unsustainable housing demand and financial strain.
- Kent County Council has repeatedly raised the alarm about capacity issues, particularly around unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
- Seven councils in the West Midlands, including Birmingham and Coventry, challenged the Home Office’s dispersal practices, citing lack of funding and local service saturation.
This Council believes:
1. That Ipswich has played a significant role in supporting asylum seekers and new arrivals, but that the current level of demand is no longer sustainable without greater support and planning.
2. That continuing to accept further asylum placements without adequate infrastructure risks undermining the very cohesion and fairness the Town of Sanctuary status seeks to uphold.
3. That all local residents, both settled and newly arrived, deserve well-functioning public services and a community environment where integration can be properly supported.
This Council resolves to grant authority to the Chief Executive to;
1. Write to the Home Office requesting an immediate pause on further asylum dispersals to Ipswich until a full review of local capacity and community impact has been carried out. In addition, request that the temporary extension to the “move-on” period due to expire this month is continued for an indefinite period.
2. Request that the Department for Education and the Home Office jointly assess the impact of current immigration and asylum levels on school places, social cohesion, and public services in Ipswich.
3. Commit to a public consultation and internal review of Ipswich’s Town of Sanctuary status to determine whether the council continues to be in a position to meet the aims and responsibilities associated with it, based on current capacity and resource levels.
4. Call on Suffolk County Council and our local Members of Parliament to support this motion and lobby central government for urgent funding and policy changes to ensure fair and balanced resettlement practices.
