Reform-led Lancashire county council to quit refugee resettlement scheme

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Councillor announces plan to withdraw from government-funded programme in run-up to May elections

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The Reform-led Lancashire county council will withdraw from the government’s refugee resettlement scheme, one of its cabinet members has said.

Joshua Roberts announced plans for Lancashire to leave the scheme, which would make it the first local authority to do so. It would mean Lancashire would no longer participate in the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) and the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP).

The authority coordinates participation in these schemes on behalf of 14 unitary and district councils in Lancashire that have responsibilities for housing.

Roberts, the cabinet member for rural affairs, environment and communities, said money spent on resettling refugees would be diverted to help support vulnerable residents and veterans in Lancashire.

While the schemes are funded by central government, Reform UK has said they affect “council resources” and put “significant pressure” on the local housing market.

Roberts said: “This proposal is about fairness. Reform UK was elected last May to make sure that the people who live, work and contribute to Lancashire are put at the front of the queue and are not disadvantaged.

“We are calling on the Labour government to stop placing refugees in Lancashire and instead redirect public funds to better support our vulnerable residents and veterans. These people have been deprioritised by successive Labour and Conservative governments for far too long.”

Opposition councillors dismissed Reform’s plans as a “political stunt”. Azhar Ali, a councillor and leader of the opposition group Progressive Lancashire, told the Lancashire Telegraph: “These are central government schemes, which Lancashire county council is paid to administer. If they decide that they no longer want to be paid for that work, the government will find other [councils] that do – it won’t stop the schemes.”

The Conservative group leader, Aidy Riggott, said: “I await the cabinet paper with interest and do hope that this isn’t another bungled, ill-thought-through announcement from Reform just days before local elections in Lancashire.”

The Green party group leader, Gina Dowding, said: “This is Reform UK trying to pull a political stunt, for publicity, the week of local elections – but which will actually stop government funding coming into Lancashire to support refugees who are already here.”

According to government statistics, 190,000 people were granted leave to come to or remain in the UK through safe and legal humanitarian routes in 2025, an increase on the previous year, which was largely down to extensions granted to people on Ukraine schemes.

A council spokesperson said: “We are aware of a statement issued by the Reform party regarding the government’s refugee resettlement scheme in Lancashire. Any changes to policy would require a decision by the cabinet.”

Imran Hussain, the director of external affairs at the Refugee Council, said: “Resettlement is a lifeline for many refugees, as we have seen with recent schemes for men, women and children from Ukraine, Afghanistan and Syria. We have a very proud tradition in the UK of giving people a safe journey out of countries devastated by war, helping them to rebuild their lives here through resettlement services around the country.

“We know from our decades of running such services that when refugees get the support they need, like English lessons and job search, they can go on to make a huge contribution to their communities and our prosperity. Research shows that this help to integrate refugees is backed by a majority of the British public.”

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