Wednesday August 27th 2025
Fairfield House
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
Concern over a lack of information about asylum seekers being housed in Midlothian by the UK Ministry of Defence has been raised amid claims the council is in the dark over their identities.
A report into the number of ‘New Scots’ welcomed into the county over the last decade has been welcomed by Midlothian councillors who praised local communities for helping support them to settle.
The report revealed the local authority had supported 343 refugees and asylum seekers since 2015 through a number of schemes set up to help those caught up in humanitarian crises across the world.
They included 34 Syrians, 44 from Afghanistan, 235 Ukrainians and 31 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. A further two asylum seekers who claimed to be under 18 were later found to be older and returned to Home Office care.
However concerns were raised about a number being brought in without any local authority notification under a scheme operated by the UK Government which has seen houses procured through a national scheme.
And it was revealed there may be as many as 900 new arrivals now living in Midlothian who came over as part of the Hong Kong British National Overseas (BNO) visa scheme, with no official figures available.
The report said: “Currently there are 149 Ukrainians living in Midlothian, with 83 having left for other areas or home.
“34 Syrian people and 42 Afghan people reside in Midlothian, and 21
unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are under our care.
“Whilst supporting Hong Kong BNOs sits outside of the remit of the Resettlement Project, the number of new arrivals needs to be on our radar.”
“Hong Kong BNOs can access public services e.g. healthcare and schools and can work; however, they have no recourse to public funds.”
It added that last year Midlothian was given a quota of 186 beds to be procured on behalf of the Ministry of Defence/Home Office for asylum
seekers of all nationalities who have arrived in UK, as part of the National Dispersal Scheme.
It said the agency overseeing the procurement MEARS has purchased 16 Midlothian properties (73 beds) so far, adding: “They are in process of purchasing 41 additional homes (171 beds) and have 25 other properties (99 beds) they are exploring the possibility of purchasing.
“The procured properties will have their rent and utilities paid by Home Office and the properties will have basic furniture.”
While it said that there are currently only five designated asylum seekers in the procured properties “we were not advised of these peoples’ arrival, and this number can change quickly.”
Councillor Ellen Scott told a meeting of Midlothian’s cabinet who were presented with the report for noting, that it allowing people to arrive in the county without alerting the council was ‘not good enough’.
She said: “I think there is more we can do, can we write to the UK Government and ask who they are putting in our communities, because if we do not know how many children there are it is just not good enough.
“If we are going to welcome people we should know that they are here, that they need support, that they need education, doctors and so on. We want people to feel included, we want them to be part of our communities.”
Council leader Kelly Parry agreed to take up the concerns saying: “There are a number of different schemes and some schemes the council has no involvement at all in terms of placing or housing and sometimes not even giving the council notice, so I will take that on board and write to the relevant government minister.”
Councillor Parry welcomed the report which outlined the work the council has undertaken with the asylum seekers and refugees who they have been supporting since their arrived in the county.
She said: “Midlothian has always had amazing success stories when it comes to our refugees and resettlement and have always made people feel welcome and at home in Midlothian.”
Fellow council Colin Cassidy agreed, adding: “I do the citizenship ceremonies in Fairfield House and some of the stories you hear about how people got here, the endurance they had to go through to find a safe haven.
“I think it is something we Scots pride ourselves in, taking people in and helping people who are in distress and need shelter. I am proud of Midlothian and proud of Scotland and the work we do here.”
The Home Office has been asked for a comment.
Tweet Share on Facebook
