Kenneth Lawrie, Chief Executive:

I want to address events in Falkirk at the weekend and set out clearly what Falkirk Council’s role is, and what it is not, when it comes to asylum seekers and the use of hotels. 

First, the facts

The Cladhan Hotel is being used by the Home Office to provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. The Mears Group manages the site under contract to the Home Office. Falkirk Council is not involved in deciding who is placed at the hotel, has no say in how it is run, and no role in managing the daily arrangements.

The costs of accommodation and meals are met in full by the Home Office. Allowances for those living there also come from the Home Office. Falkirk Council does not provide any financial assistance to the asylum seekers staying in the hotel.

Our homelessness service is not part of these arrangements. No asylum seekers have been fast-tracked into council housing or homeless accommodation. 

Our responsibilities

Falkirk Council has statutory responsibilities that apply equally to anyone living in our area. If an asylum seeker requires for example, health care, social work support, or social care, our staff may become involved. That is the extent of our direct role.

We also work with partners including Police Scotland, NHS Forth Valley, the third sector, Mears, and the Home Office to manage any local impacts and make sure that safety and wellbeing are prioritised.

It is important to be absolutely clear that asylum seekers go through security and identity checks before they are accommodated. These checks are carried out by the Home Office. Information is shared with Mears and with partners where that is needed. Suggestions that people are moved here without any checks or oversight are simply not true.

Community standards

While there will always be an important right to protest and assemble as an essential part of our democratic process, some of what we saw at the weekend outside the Cladhan Hotel was deeply concerning.

Protests that target vulnerable people and repeat false claims do real harm. They can create division, spread fear, and do not reflect the values of Falkirk as a community. Intimidation and abuse are not acceptable.

Our responsibility as a Council is to provide facts and to challenge misinformation and to build community cohesion. We will continue to do that. Our role is also to work constructively with partners and residents to ensure that concerns are dealt with in a respectful and responsible way. 

The value of diversity

Falkirk has a long history of people arriving here and contributing to our local life.  Many families in Falkirk today have roots in other countries and cultures.

That tradition continues. Diversity makes Falkirk stronger. It brings new skills, ideas, and traditions. It makes our economy more resilient and our cultural life richer. Communities that are open and inclusive are communities that thrive.

In closing

Let me be clear. Falkirk Council has no role in placing or funding asylum seekers at the Cladhan Hotel. That responsibility rests with the Home Office and with Mears. Our homelessness service and our housing service are not involved.

What we do have is a responsibility to safeguard community safety, provide factual information, and uphold the principle that everyone deserves dignity and respect.

We will continue to set the record straight when false claims are made. We will continue to work with partners to address local issues. And we will continue to support a community where people can live safely and where difference is respected.