A Question of Safety: As National Outrage Grows, We Ask Who is Being Housed in Tameside?
By Jason Nield, Editor | Tameside Independent
UK – A wave of public shock and anger has erupted following the charging of two Afghan asylum seekers with the alleged rape of a teenage girl in a Warwickshire town. The case, highlighted by figures like Nigel Farage, has thrown a harsh spotlight on the government’s asylum accommodation system, raising urgent questions about vetting, public safety, and the accountability of the private companies paid billions to manage the scheme.
The national outrage reflects a simple, terrifying question being asked by communities across the country: Who is being housed in our local areas?
Here in Greater Manchester, the Tameside Independent has been asking that very question. Our ongoing investigation, ‘The Dispersal Files,’ has sought to bring transparency to a system shrouded in secrecy. We have already submitted legally-binding Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to Tameside, Stockport, and Oldham councils, demanding to see their correspondence with the Home Office and its primary private contractor, Serco.
Serco, a multinational outsourcing giant, holds the multi-billion-pound government contract to manage asylum seeker accommodation across the North West. They are the ones running the hotels and properties. Yet, as a private company, they are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act, creating a significant accountability gap.
To close this gap, the Tameside Independent has today submitted a hard-hitting FOI request directly to the Home Office. We are not asking for opinions; we are demanding to see the black-and-white print of the contract. Our request demands they release:
Our Demands to the Home Office
- The specific contractual clauses that legally oblige Serco to vet asylum seekers for criminal histories or security risks before placing them in Tameside.
- The official Home Office policy document for assessing and managing the risk of asylum seekers with known criminal backgrounds.
- Any performance reports or breach notices issued to Serco for failures related to public safety in Tameside.
- The total number of recorded “serious incidents” (including violence and sexual assault) linked to Serco-managed accommodation in the borough.
The public has a right to know what is being done to ensure their safety. They have a right to know if the vetting and safeguarding systems are robust, or if private profits are being prioritised over public protection.
Our investigation will get the answers. We will publish the results in full.