Thousands of asylum seekers needing support in our region
Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire has the third highest number of asylum seekers receiving support - and a Hull project is warning they're struggling to cope with rising demand.
A project which helps asylum seekers resettle in Hull has told Viking they're struggling to cope with the numbers of people needing help.
Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire has the third highest number of asylum seekers receiving support in the UK - with around 4,500 accessing help in the first three months of this year.
Hull's Open Doors project is the only support service in the city and they're now helping around 300 asylum seekers each week.
Project co-ordinator Bashir Siraj told us:
"During the week we get about 300 people coming through our doors and this number is growing every week and it is difficult for us because we don't get any regular funding from anywhere and rely on local organisations for donations.
"We don't have enough resources to meet their needs because it is very difficult when you see numbers are growing every week and people are coming in with different kinds of needs.
"There is no other place where they can go for support and they need help. They need a place where they can go and meet people who can listen to them and welcome them."
Cath Bowery is a volunteer at the project and said:
"Our concern is that we may end up actually having more people coming through the door and that's when we worry that we actually won't be able to cope. We can take you through the kitchen and you can see how busy they are preparing a midday meal and that might be the only hot meal that some people get in the week and that's really important.
"It may also be the only time in the week that people get to speak to someone who speaks their language. They may also need a translation service, a food parcel so that they have got the basic staples. We also provide access to services like the Red Cross and refugee councils so there are allsorts of things going on here and it means that people coming into the country just have a point of reference.
"The building is only so big and we will have to look futher if the need gets greater. I can't think of a time that it is not busy. You only have to go upstairs to where they are organising the food parcels, we give over 200 out on a Thursday and there's at least that number coming through our doors on a Thursday morning."
Earlier this year the Commons Home Affairs Committee said ministers must call on more areas to house asylum seekers as Britain faces unprecedented demand for accommodation.
Councils sign up voluntarily to the 'dispersal' scheme.
Overall, the number of people receiving support at the end of March was 17% higher than at the same time in 2015, when the number stood at 30,476.
A Home Office report issued alongside the figures said that although the number has risen since 2012, it is considerably below'' that for the end of 2003, when there were 80,123 asylum seekers in receipt of Section 95 support.