Dear Sir,
I, and no doubt others, was taken aback to discover that
Bolton is designated an ‘Asylum Dispersal Area’.
Apparently the Council signed up to this scheme as far back as 2004.
Putting aside the no doubt charitable motives behind this
decision, it does appear to me to be strange in view of the much publicized
degree of deprivation that existed in the Borough at that time – a situation
which apparently still remains.
It is clear to me that this designation refers to Asylum
Seekers who, by the very definition, are not allowed to work or contribute to
the local economy in any way.
Following your article, many of the published remarks
seem to assume that the report refers to immigration in general and their
defensive remarks reflect this.
Sean Harriss remarks on the co-ordinated efforts made to
ensure that new communities integrate successfully. I don’t think that
integration is the problem. I think the problem is money.
My point is that there are necessarily additional cost
implications for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, Education, Translation
services and NHS provision etc just at a time when financial constraints mean
that these areas just cannot afford it.
Perhaps it is time for the Council to ‘join out’ of this
scheme in order to alleviate these additional and unnecessary pressures and let
other richer and less deprived areas take our place.
Paul Richardson
Ripon Close
Little Lever.
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