Home Office risks ‘provoking serious and destabilising unrest’ housing migrants in Harlow town centre

The government has confirmed that asylum seekers will be placed right in the centre of a UK town which has sparked fury.

The leader of Harlow Council, Cllr Dan Swords said he will not be idle and will not allow Harlow to be “treated as a dumping ground for a failed policy” on asylum.

The government will place asylum seekers into Redstone House which is now known as Endeavour House in the centre of Harlow.

At the premises a two bedroom will be rented out for £,575 a month, usually it is £500 cheaper, Cllr Swords has vowed to write to the Home Secretary and he will be demanding answers as he opposes the plan.

Cllr Swords said this is a “betrayal” and he insists the Council will “do everything in our power to stop this,” adding this is “wrong for Harlow, wrong for our town centre, and wrong for our community.”

He said, “Redstone House was shut down because it was unsafe. The tenants who were placed there by London boroughs were rightly moved back to those boroughs.

“Now the Government wants to bring that same unsafe building back into use – right in the heart of our town centre – to house asylum seekers. That is reckless, irresponsible, and a betrayal of our community.

“The Council Leader warned that such a move would be a “disaster for Harlow, undermining years of hard work, investment, and planning to rebuild and regenerate the town centre.

“We have fought to secure hundreds of millions of pounds to transform Harlow – to build new homes, new shops, and new public spaces. Turning Redstone House into asylum accommodation would undo all of that progress and show a staggering disregard for the people of Harlow.”

He warned putting migrants in Harlow town centre risks “provoking serious and destabilising unrest.”

Cllr Swords said, “We believe in Harlow homes for Harlow people. We believe in standing up for our town. We have come too far and worked too hard to see the future of our town centre put at risk by such a short-sighted, unsafe, and irresponsible decision.

“The Home Office’s approach is not only wrong – it is dangerous. It risks provoking serious and destabilising unrest. Harlow is a compassionate town, but compassion must be matched with competence and common sense, not exploited.”

He added, “We fight every day to make Harlow safer and stronger for our residents. If the Government goes ahead with this plan, it will directly undermine that safety – putting our children, our families, and our community at risk. That is not something I, or this council, will ever accept.

“I’m asking the people of Harlow to back me to fight the Government on this. We will not stand by while our town is treated as a dumping ground for failed policy.”