Immigration in Staffordshire: Views from voters and refugees

Immigration is a key issue on the campaign trail this general election. The BBC spoke to voters on the streets of Staffordshire, as well as asylum seekers who have escaped persecution to live there.

Initially refused by Stafford Borough Council, a planning inspector ruled Serco could go ahead with the proposals. The site lies empty, for now."The NHS is a worry for me," says Len, echoing the views of many voters who have shared their thoughts with the BBC in recent weeks.Serco wants to house 480 asylum seekers in this old halls of residence in Stafford

Hotels in Burton, Stafford and Cannock were among those closed to the public to house asylum seekers, while in Stoke-on-Trent, the council lost a High Court bid to stop a city centre hotel being used. "You are in the control of the smugglers," he says, being told "that's not your problem" when he asked where they were heading after arriving in Germany.

The charity says cases like Mohammed's have become the norm and claims funding promised by the Home Office to help those transitioning from asylum seeker to refugee status has not materialised."It takes a while to find jobs, the council are overstretched and unable to provide housing and many find that universal credit is not enough to buy food as well as pay rent," says co-ordinator Tamba Musa.

Meanwhile, NHS mental health worker Rodica White, 49, thinks immigration is "a massive problem in England".

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