What does the government do?
When somebody claims asylum in the UK, the Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will decide whether or not to accept the claim. The Home Office and UKVI are part of the national government of the UK.
The Home Office decides where asylum seekers live while they wait for a decision on their asylum claim. They are also responsible for making sure that asylum seekers get support.
Asylum seekers are placed in different areas of the United Kingdom. Each of these areas has a different housing provider that is responsible for housing refugees. The provider in Middlesbrough is called Mears.
What is Middlesbrough Council?
Middlesbrough Council is a local authority (council). We do not decide where asylum seekers live, what support they get, or any decision made on their asylum claim. But we take our responsibility for the wellbeing of all people in Middlesbrough very seriously. We always try to understand local circumstances, and we're here to help people who have received, or are waiting for, a decision.