Asylum seekers more likely to be victims of crime than cause it, Humberside's PCC says

There is no evidence the arrival of asylum seekers in an area causes a rise in crime, Humberside's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) said.

Humberside PCC Jonathan Evison told East Riding councillors asylum seekers who are housed in communities are more likely to fall victim to crime than to cause it. He added places where asylum seekers are being housed in the East Riding had not yet been targetted by far right protesters which have demonstrated against asylum seekers elsewhere.

The PCC's comments come after the arrival of asylum seekers in North Ferriby's Humber View Hotel last week. East Riding Council lost a High Court bid to stop the Home Office housing asylum seekers in the hotel on planning grounds, arguing they would be too far from local services.

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Both the hotel, in Ferriby High Road, and Cottingham's Thwaite Hall are used to accommodate single adult men. The sign outside the Humber View Hotel was vandalised with graffiti days before the asylum seekers arrived there from Monday, November 14.

The Home Office has previously said the use of hotels was a short term way of dealing with record numbers of asylum claims. Many staying in dedicated asylum processing facilities such as Manston in Kent have been moved out amid reports of overcrowding and disease outbreaks.

Mr Evison told the council's Safer and Stronger Communities Sub-Community there was no indication of a link between asylum seekers arriving in an area and a rise in crime. The PCC said: "However, there are indications that crimes against asylum seekers increase when they come into an area."

Mr Evison's comments to the council's Safer and Stronger Communities Sub-Committee came as Cottingham South's Cllr Helen Green said her concern was for the welfare of asylum seekers. The Conservative councillor said: "In my ward we have a large population of asylum seekers and I think it's very unfair to label them as the perpetrators.

"I'm more frightened for their safety on a lot of occasions."

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