Is the Home Office Misleading the Public About Serco’s Asylum Contracts?

The triangle of accountability between the Home Office, Serco and local councils.

Earlier this year, I submitted a Freedom of Information request to the UK Home Office asking for basic transparency on asylum housing arrangements.

Specifically, I asked:

1. For a list of councils where Serco had signed accommodation agreements,

2. For copies of guidance or agreements issued to Serco regarding private rented housing and landlord incentives,

3. For financial records relating to five-year rent guarantees,

4. And for any risk assessments on the impact of expanded private housing.

The Home Office said it doesn’t hold any of that information.

For the first two points, it simply pointed me toward a generic online contract, nothing about which councils are involved, and no documents about how those agreements are structured.

For the financial and risk assessment questions, it issued a flat denial: "The Home Office does not hold this information."

Home Office response (1/2)

Home Office response (2/2)

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