When it comes to reform-led lancashire county council could quit refugee resettlement scheme, lancashire's Reform-led county council could become the first local authority to withdraw from government refugee resettlement schemes, under plans announced by cabinet member Joshua Roberts. The authority coordinates participation for 14 unitary and district councils with housing responsibilities, but any policy change still needs approval from the county cabinet.
Understanding Reform-led Lancashire County Council Could Quit Refugee Resettlement Scheme
Withdrawal would end Lancashire's participation in the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) and the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP). Both are funded by central government, although Reform UK says they affect "council resources" and put "significant pressure" on the local housing market. Originally reported by The Guardian.
Joshua Roberts, cabinet member for rural affairs, environment and communities, said money spent on resettling refugees should instead support vulnerable residents and veterans in Lancashire.
Joshua 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."
Joshua Roberts added: "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."
But the funding arrangement leaves a distinction between ending the county's administrative role and redirecting government money. The announcement doesn't establish that Lancashire could retain resettlement funding for other purposes, or that leaving would end the schemes elsewhere in the country.
Opposition challenges timing before local elections
Opposition councillors dismissed the proposal as a "political stunt", questioning both its practical effect and its timing ahead of local elections in Lancashire.
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."
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."
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."
The objections put the financial consequences at the centre of the dispute: Reform promises different spending priorities, while opponents argue withdrawal would mean losing government funding rather than freeing it for other Lancashire residents.
Refugee Council defends resettlement as a lifeline
Government statistics show that 190,000 people were granted leave to come to or remain in the UK through safe and legal humanitarian routes in 2025. That was an increase on the previous year, largely driven by extensions granted to people on Ukraine schemes.
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."
Imran Hussain added: "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."
Those figures cover humanitarian routes across the UK; they aren't a count of refugees resettled in Lancashire under the two programmes.
For now, Lancashire county council's refugee resettlement policy hasn't changed. 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." The cabinet's decision will determine whether Lancashire proceeds with the proposed withdrawal from both programmes.
Originally reported by The Guardian. View original.