Somerset councillors have clashed over the role of asylum seekers in a heated debate on the county's housing crisis.

Conservative councillors put forward a motion at the annual full council meeting on May 21, highlighting the scale of Somerset's housing issues and the difficulty of securing low-cost homes for local families.

The motion urged the council to give local residents priority for homes "wherever legally and practically possible" and ensure local residents were not "disadvantaged" by government schemes to resettle asylum seekers.

But the motion failed dramatically to gain support, with Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors accusing the Tories of blaming refugees and asylum seekers for the county's housing pressures.

Here's everything you need to know:

How does the government house refugees?

Refugees and asylum seekers coming to the UK are housed by central government while their cases are processed.

The Home Office pays for displaced people to be housed in hotels or hostels (usually through contracts with third parties), and provides funding for local authorities to purchase properties to house refugees locally.

Contrary to popular belief, this funding is not used to take council houses out of the local housing stock – and refugees or asylum seekers cannot bid for council houses.

Instead, private homes are purchased on the open market using funding from the government's local authority housing fund (LAHF).

Somerset Council received £3.5m from this fund in January 2024 to purchase 31 properties for refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Once the refugees have been processed (and either deported or given the leave to remain), these properties revert back to the council and can be let out to local people as regular council houses.

What was the motion put forward?

The motion was put forward by Councillor Lucy Trimnell (Wincanton and Bruton) and seconded by Conservative group leader Councillor Diogo Rodrigues (Bridgwater East and Bawdrip).

The motion read: "This council recognises the severe and growing pressures on social housing and the private rental sector in Somerset.

"Existing demand is already being driven up by major infrastructure projects such as Hinkley Point C and the Gravity enterprise zone, which are attracting a large incoming workforce.

"We also acknowledge that Somerset is playing a role in national resettlement and asylum schemes, with government targets placing additional housing pressures on the county.

"For example, Somerset has been allocated 826 asylum accommodation bed-spaces – the third highest target in the south west – while also planning for arrivals under the Afghan resettlement programme.

"While the council is committed to supporting vulnerable displaced people through ring-fenced government funding, we must also be honest about the strain this places on the wider housing system and public services, which are under considerable pressure."

The motion called for the council to undertake three things:

• Write to communities secretary Angela Rayner MP to "seek urgent assurances that government-funded migration accommodation schemes will not come at the expense of housing provision for Somerset residents"
• Affirm its commitment to "prioritising Somerset residents for social and affordable housing" wherever legally and practically possible
• Request that any government-funded housing schemes in the future are "accompanied by sufficient additional housing investment in Somerset to ensure local need is not displaced"

Ms Trimnell (who served in the Royal Navy for five years) said that the ongoing phosphates crisis and Somerset being seen as a tourist destination had compounded underlying issues with the delivery of new low-cost homes.

She said: "In recent years, nutrient neutrality issues have hampered the progress of building in many parts of this county.

"We have become a highly desirable place to visit and holiday in – meaning that we are affected by the rising popularity of AirBnB and second homes.

"We are a desirable county for people to relocate or retire to, and of course we've been identified as a superb county to do business in."

Did any of Somerset's MPs agree with the motion?

Somerset currently has seven MPs, comprising six Lib Dems and one Conservative.

Sir Ashley Fox, the Tory MP for Bridgwater, expressed similar sentiments to the motion in a letter to home secretary Yvette Cooper MP on May 16.

He said: "While I appreciate the need for all areas to support vulnerable displaced people through ring-fenced government funding, I believe the number allocated to Somerset is currently too high and doesn't take into consideration a number of other pressures on accommodation.

"My constituents are understandably worried that the additional burden of a high number of asylum seekers will tip an already under-pressure housing market into crisis.

"Given this, I am asking you and your department to reassess the current number of asylum resettlements for Somerset.

"It is critical to ensure that local people are not forced out of their homes by rent increases, or waiting too long for social housing, because the government has failed to understand the pressures we face."

Three other Somerset MPs currently sit on Somerset Council – namely Adam Dance (Yeovil), Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) and Tessa Munt (Wells and Mendip Hills) – with the latter not being in attendance at the meeting.

What did actual refugees think? 

Sajjad Jabarkhel, a refugee from Afghanistan, spoke out against the motion during the public question section of the meeting, arguing that "risks

misrepresenting the challenges" he and other refugees have faced.

He said: "While the motion rightly acknowledges the pressure on our housing, it frames refugees and asylum seekers, particularly Afghans, as a primary cause of this strain. This is both misleading and unfair.

"Many of these Afghans worked alongside British and allied forces, risking their lives to support our military and democratic efforts.

"To suggest that their resettlement is a burden disrespects their sacrifices and undermines the deep bonds of trust they forged with our armed forces.

"I understand this may not be the intention, but such language can easily be misinterpreted and fuel unnecessary division."

Mr Jabarkhel said the discomfort surrounding refugees could be resolved by providing training to those arriving, allowing them to work in the public sector or on major construction projects.

He said: "Rather than framing refugees as a strain, why not prepare a motion to develop a strategy that trains newcomers, ensuring they are set up for

success and can support themselves while contributing to the public sector – just as I have?

"I am immensely grateful to the taxpayers who enabled me to study in this country.

"Today, I am qualified for six different roles on the shortage occupation list

having attended a Russell Group university for my degree and masters, and contribute more in taxes than the pre-tax income of the average UK worker.

"I also volunteer up to 20 hours a week at a local cricket club because I believe in giving back to the community that has given me this opportunity.

"Let's extend this same chance to others, allowing them to contribute meaningfully to society."

Mr Jabarkhel said Somerset had "a proud history of welcoming those in need" and said that the "growing national rhetoric" against refugees and asylum seekers was "both concerning and disheartening".

He added: "This country has given me so much, and I know that no amount of effort on my part can ever fully repay that debt."

How did councillors respond to the motion?

Councillor Sarah Wakefield, portfolio holder for adult's services, housing and homeless, led the Liberal Democrats' rebuttal of the motion, describing its suggestions as "wrong and ill-conceived".

She said: "The basic premise behind the motion is that the pressure on housing supply in our county is further exacerbated by the need to provide housing for displaced persons. That is simply wrong."

As of April 2025, 12,734 people were registered on the council's Homefinder Somerset housing register – the equivalent of 2.19 per cent of the county's population.

As of December 2024 (the most recent figures available), refugees and asylum seekers made up only 0.038 per cent of Somerset's population.

Ms Wakefield – whose Blackdown and Neroche division includes numerous villages south of Taunton and Wellington – said that the county's housing pressures were driven more by the phosphates crisis and a series of policies enacted by the previous Tory government.

She said: "Some 18,000 homes were held up by the need for nutrient neutrality at one time – although that number is reducing now as we bring forward solutions.

"The slowing down in the delivery of completed houses is due to the lack of trained trades, particularly since Brexit, and shortages of materials.

"We also have high interest rates caused by economic instability – I believe it's called Trussonomics – and the stalled reform of the planning system.

"That planning reform needs to urgently address viability claims by developers, which have the effect of depressing and sometimes eliminating entirely the number of affordable homes that we can secure on some of our developments.

"None of these factors have anything whatsoever to do with displaced persons in Somerset."

Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, portfolio holder for communities, culture, equalities and diversity, said the Tories' motion was designed to "cause division and incite fear" while their party "flounders nationally" in the opinion polls.

Ms Smith-Roberts (who represents the Taunton East division) is one of the founders of the charity Refugee Aid From Taunton (RAFT), which donates money and supplies to various global refugee relief efforts.

She elaborated: "Instead of directing an ill-conceived and uninformed motion at the most vulnerable for pure political gain, let's have an cross-party adult conversation about how we tackle the housing crisis we face in Somerset, which is caused by a variety of issues but not by asylum seekers.

"Let's work together on our requests of government to provide access to funding at a better interest rate, or greater direct funding to build more social housing."

Labour group leader Leigh Redman (Bridgwater North and Central) said Somerset was paying the price for the Tories' "chronic underinvestment in social housing and the insufficient regulation of the private rental sector".

He added: "Evidence from the Local Government Association and housing charities consistently shows that the scale of housing need in Somerset – and across the UK – pre-dates the recent migration and resettlement programmes.

"The numbers involved locally – in resettlement schemes – are a tiny fraction of overall housing demand here in Somerset.

"Moreover, the government's ring-fenced funding for these programmes is specifically designed to prevent displacement of local need.

"Rather than seeking to limit or stigmatise migration accommodation, the council should focus its lobbying efforts on securing increased long-term investment in affordable housing for all.

"Somerset's housing crisis is real, but it will not be solved by pitting vulnerable groups against one another. We need unity and ambition, not division and scapegoating."

Councillor Val Keitch (Lib Dem, Ilminster) went so far as calling the motion "racist" – a claim which was disputed by Ms Trimnell and the council's monitoring officer.

She said: "I don't believe that Lucy Trimnell (who I know quite well) or Diogo Rodrigues are racist – but at the end of the day, this motion is a racist motion.

"The fact that it has garnered support from the Reform party, I think says it all."

Did anyone support the motion?

Councillor Marcus Barr (Reform UK, Wellington) spoke in favour of the motion, warning the other parties that they would pay dearly at the ballot box if they did not tackle residents' concerns.

Mr Barr was elected as a Conservative councillor for Wellington at the 2022 local elections, switching to Reform UK in April this year.

He said: "I'm all for immigration if it's controlled, but at the moment we don't have controlled immigration.

"You can all laugh and joke that Reform aren't going to be around for long, but the Great British public are annoyed with the Labour Party, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

"You've got a choice. In two years' time, the majority of the people in this room will be unelected because you're not listening to the people of Somerset."

Councillor Bob Filmer (Conservative, Brent) took a more moderate approach, stating: "The idea of this motion is to make sure that the government is fully aware of the hidden pressures we face as a county.

"My own patch covers tourism areas, and we are seeing a lot of our own residents now living in tourist accommodation, which is not authorised for residential use.

"This is not an attempt to vilify anybody on any side – it is simply to make sure our voices are heard."

Mr Rodrigues added: "The Lib Dems are the ones stoking division, not us.

"Right now, 12,000 Somerset people are on the affordable housing register, waiting for a home of their own – that's real lives, real families.

"Based on current availability, it would take eight years to house everyone needing a one-bedroom property in Somerset."

What was the result of the vote?

After around an hour's lively debate, the motion was roundly defeated.

All Lib Dem, Labour and Green councillors present voted against the motion, along with several within the Conservative and Reform groups.