The Dispersal Files: Why We Are Demanding Answers on Asylum Housing

TAMESIDE, UK – In the face of a national crisis and local silence, the Tameside Independent has today taken the step of launching a major, cross-borough investigation into how our local councils are handling the housing of asylum seekers. We have submitted a series of legally-binding Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to Tameside, Stockport, and Oldham councils, as well as a hard-hitting request to the Home Office itself.

Some will ask why a Tameside-focused publication is looking at this issue, and why now. The answer is simple: because the public has a right to know, and because the issue of housing capacity does not stop at a borough border.

The national news is dominated by shocking stories and fierce debate. We see high-profile cases like the alleged rape of a teenage girl in Warwickshire by asylum seekers. We see political figures from all sides weighing in. But while the national conversation rages, the facts on the ground in our own communities remain shrouded in secrecy.

Our job is to get those facts.

This investigation is not born from speculation. It is a direct result of the evidence we have already uncovered. Our previous reporting on the Tameside housing crisis forced the government to respond, but in doing so, they cited a waiting list figure of just 1,005 households. This is a number we know to be a fraction of the truth, as major housing provider Jigsaw Homes has confirmed to us on the record that the real figure of housing need is “more than 7,000 people.”

When our local housing system is already failing 7,000 of our own families, the public has an undeniable right to know how any and all housing stock is being used. They have a right to know what deals are being done with the Home Office and private contractors like Serco, and what impact this has on our already strained local services.

As a local, independent journalist, my primary focus is Tameside. But this is an issue that affects every resident of Greater Manchester. That is why we have extended our enquiries to our neighbouring boroughs of Stockport and Oldham. I can only do so much, but I can ensure that in our corner of the world, we get the transparency the public deserves.

Our investigation, titled ‘The Dispersal Files,’ will bring the truth to light. The councils and the Home Office have 20 working days to respond. We will publish their answers—or their refusal to answer—in full.