Wandsworth Council Using Funds Intended for Ukrainians and Afghans for Asylum Seeker Freebies – Guido Fawkes

EXC: Wandsworth Council Using Funds Intended for Ukrainians and Afghans for Asylum Seeker Freebies

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Wandsworth Council, which last week announced half-price e-bike rentals for asylum seekers, has been using funds from schemes intended to be used only to house Ukrainian and Afghan refugees to give freebies to asylum seekers. Are you surprised…

The council’s ‘Sanctuary Strategy’ runs from this financial year to 2026/27 and support’s the council’s work to hand out funds to asylum seekers and groups interacting with them. To that end it stated in its plan documents:

“The council has created a £1.7 million fund to support the delivery of the actions contained in this strategy, drawing on funding it receives from a range of sources to support refugees and asylum seekers including funding from the Homes for Ukraine scheme, the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy, and European Social Fund.”

Council releases say the plan was “created in collaboration with refugees, asylum seekers and local groups.” As part of the Asylum Freebiegate series Guido can reveal the fund hands out grants to groups who apply for it in order for them to supply freebies. Here are some examples of approved grants:

• “Wellbeing sessions including counselling, yoga, gardening and befriending.” – £9,950
• “Fortnightly art-based workshops” to “improve mental health and wellbeing and inspire positive change in individuals.” – £9,846
• Training for “asylum seekers facing persistent digital exclusion.” – £10,000
• “Funding a Project Officer to assist Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees to meet demands, obligations and expand capacity.” – £10,000

This is on top of direct council offerings from the funds including half-price weddings, gym and swim schemes, a fishing permits, and courses offered by Putney School of Art and Design. The council has also hired “two dedicated refugee and resettlement roles within the corporate policy team who have responsibility for coordinating activity across the council.” Gravy train…

The strategy also promises to this year “review Council Tax discount entitlements for refugees, asylum seekers and those hosting refugees or asylum seekers under the community sponsorship model.” Council tax benefits for asylum seekers and the landlords who agree to host them at the expense of private renters…

Just last month Wandsworth announced it was handing out more taxpayer-funded grants including for the “Children’s Books in Wandsworth Libraries” to “build a collection of books and resources on themes of migration and refugee experiences to help young people understand sanctuary and migration.” A key aim of the ‘sanctuary’ plan is to “continue to embed sanctuary seekers and celebrate their history and stories in arts and culture programmes.” It’s not stopping…

Funding intended for Ukrainians was not ringfenced when it was distributed by DHLUC, nor were councils required to report on what it was actually being spent on until last year. Wandsworth is not the only one…