Reform UK leaflet accused of 'inflaming' opinion
Wearside Reform UKA party's local campaign leaflets have been accused of "inflaming" public opinion.
Reform UK has been handing out flyers across the Washington and Gateshead South constituency which suggest the rise in asylum seekers in Sunderland is linked to the city's sanctuary status which it gained in 2022.
The Reverend Chris Howson, who chairs Sunderland City of Sanctuary, which aims to "create a welcoming environment for those seeking sanctuary", said this was false and he could "not accept them just putting out lies".
Reform UK and its Washington and Gateshead South branch have not responded to requests for comment.
Howson said the rise in asylum seekers in Sunderland was not due to the city's sanctuary status, with decisions on where they are sent to live made by the Home Office.
"Local authorities don't have much control over that figure at all," he said.
Since March 2023 all local authorities have had to take in asylum seekers with the intention this is proportionate to their population sizes. Before this, an individual council could decide whether it accepted asylum accommodation within its area or not.
SuppliedThe leaflets say asylum seeker numbers in Sunderland rose by 794% in Sunderland between 2015 and 2025.
But Howson said this percentage included recent Ukrainian arrivals who were not considered asylum seekers.
Home Office figures instead suggest a 550% increase in the city's asylum seeker population, from 125 individuals to 813, when comparing September 2015 data to September 2025, which is the latest available.
The current total makes up about 0.28% of Sunderland's overall population.
Newcastle, which also has sanctuary status, is home to 1,149 asylum seekers which is about 0.36% of its population.
UK policy aims to limit supported asylum seekers to no more than 0.5%.
Wearside Reform UKThe leaflets also claim the rise in asylum seeker numbers is having an effect on the region's growing council home waiting list.
But Howson pointed out asylum seekers are not housed in council homes while their claims are processed but are put in private accommodation funded by the Home Office.
He said Reform UK was "stirring up" anger towards a group of people who were "already extremely vulnerable".
Sunderland City Council Labour leader Michael Mordey said Reform UK should not include Ukrainian arrivals in its asylum seeker figures.
He also said the council was not responsible for social housing waiting lists in the city as it owned fewer than 200 homes for rent, none of which were occupied by asylum seekers.
"My advice to residents of Sunderland who may have received these leaflets, would be to do the right thing and put them straight in the recycling bin," he said.
"Don't fall for Reform lies and don't stand for Reform hate.
"Sunderland is better than that."
