By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-21 13:11:00 | Updated at 2026-09-21 13:54:47
1 hour ago
Labour has been branded as "disgraceful" over its plans to house asylum seekers in the heart of Aberdeen.
The Home Office informed Aberdeen South's MP Douglas Lumsden it was looking to house 149 asylum seekers on St Peter Street in the city.
The Granite City already houses 707 migrants, the Home Office wrote in a letter, with the plans for St Peter Street taking Aberdeen "above its service under demand plan allocation".
Service user demand plan allocation refers to the forecasting and distribution of housing, health and support resources for a location based on the projected asylum seeker volumes.
Mr Lumsden responded to Shabana Mahmood's department, calling for the proposals to be paused as he accused the Government of using the city as a "scapegoat" for its failure to stop small boat crossings.
Aberdeen houses the second highest number of asylum seekers in Scotland, with Glasgow ahead with almost 4,000 migrants.
The Scottish Conservatives MP said: "These plans are a disgrace and as usual, residents have had no say on this ill-judged decision to house a further 149 asylum seekers in the city. Aberdeen is buckling under housing pressure, yet our city is being left to shoulder more asylum accommodation than it should be.
"It’s atrocious that both Labour and SNP Governments would gladly house asylum seekers at the expense of people stuck waiting to find a property.
Douglas Lumsden MP accused the Government as using Aberdeen as a 'scapegoat' for its failures in tackling the small boat crisis
HANDOUT
"The fact is these proposals will have huge implications on our public services, including our NHS, which is already at breaking point.
"Aberdeen City Council must put a stop to these plans by ensuring the needs of its local people are put first. Aberdeen should be a place for people to live, not become a hotel for those seeking to come here by asylum."
This comes after Ms Mahmood said she was aiming to "reduce pressure" on Glasgow for housing migrants.
She said the high number of migrants in Scotland's biggest city was because other councils in the country "have not stepped up to play their full part".
St Peter Street, where the Government has proposed to house 149 asylum seekers in Aberdeen
GOOGLE STREET VIEW
Speaking at a Home Affairs Select Committee last Tuesday, Ms Mahmood said: "Just on Glasgow specifically, as I said before, very much recognise those challenges partly borne out because other local authorities in Scotland haven't stepped up to play their full part to enable a fairer distribution across the whole of Scotland.
"There hasn't been any new procurement of the new asylum accommodation in Glasgow since 2024 and let me say to you that as we as we go for a fairer spread, and we've renegotiated the rates we pay in some areas to bring in the ability to move out to slightly more affluent areas as well.
"So as we do that, I am looking to reduce the pressure on places that are way above their allocation to bring that down in a sustained way, so that every area is paying its full part.
"And as I say, as we move to more military sites and then also more medium-sized sites, I wanted to again alleviate that pressure, and I will be targeting the areas that are above allocation to be first in line to see those reductions."
Labour MPs Joani Reid and Zubir Ahmed has previously written to the Home Secretary asking her to pause asylum seeker housing in Glasgow.
In his response to the Home Office, Mr Lumsden said he "strongly opposes" the move, arguing Aberdeen already "takes more than its fair share of asylum seekers".
He wrote: "I strongly oppose this decision and ask you to suspend its implementation pending an urgent review of local capacity and the basis on which these additional placements have been allocated to Aberdeen.
"The people of Aberdeen are being used as scapegoats for the continued failure of this Labour Government to stop the small boat crossings.
"Aberdeen already takes more than its fair share of asylum seekers. This outrageous plan completely disregards the wishes of local residents and is fundamentally unjust at a time when other local authorities across the UK do not take their fair share.
"Aberdeen City Council has an obligation to stop these plans, ensuring the needs of local people are put first."
GB News has reached out to the Home Office for comment.
