Devon Council leader urges compassion for asylum seekers amid protests

Devon County Council’s leader, Julian Brazil, has reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to supporting asylum seekers and called for them to be treated with “the dignity and compassion they deserve”.

Cllr Brazil made the comments at a full council meeting earlier this month, following a series of small protests outside an Exeter hotel where the Home Office has placed asylum seekers while they await decisions on their cases.

He said the council was providing support in areas including education, child welfare and social care, stressing that many of those housed were particularly vulnerable.

“There are children staying there and many are terrified and confused,” he told councillors.
“These children are from war-torn countries, escaping drought, famine and persecution. While I fully support people’s right to protest, I would urge people to be mindful of their circumstances.”

Cllr Brazil also sought to reassure residents that concerns about community safety were unfounded.

“These concerns have been amplified by a minority of people who misunderstand the complexities and realities of the situation. These are not people who have arrived on boats crossing the channel.
These are not criminals, they are some of the most vulnerable people. They have suffered, many have been persecuted and tortured and are waiting in the asylum system. They have come to our country legally to find a better life. Who wouldn’t want to do that?”

His remarks come against a national backdrop of heated debate around asylum policy. According to the Home Office, around 50,000 asylum seekers are currently being accommodated in hotels across the UK due to backlogs in the asylum system. Charities and local authorities have repeatedly raised concerns about the impact of prolonged stays in temporary accommodation on children’s education, family wellbeing and mental health.

Cllr Brazil continued: “I would hope that if the boot was on the other foot, and if it was you or me under those circumstances, that those people would understand and be more empathetic.
Hate and discrimination, whatever its form, is completely unacceptable, has no place in Devon and we should treat asylum seekers with respect, as we would expect to be treated ourselves.”

He also stressed that Devon faced wider challenges linked to central government funding, urging communities not to let anger be misdirected at vulnerable people.

“Devon faces significant challenges, many of them exacerbated by grossly inadequate central Government funding, which means our residents get significantly less than those in other local authority areas. It is vital we focus our energies on tackling this inequity and not sowing division.”

The latest figures from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) show that over 120 million people worldwide have been forcibly displaced by conflict, persecution and climate crises – the highest number on record. Campaigners in Devon say this global crisis must be met with local compassion, not hostility.