The war in Ukraine has had the biggest impact on the number of asylum seekers receiving support in the North East, reaching a 10-year high, a Darlington charity leader has claimed.

Fran Wood, chief executive of Darlington Assistance for Refugees (DAR), said the Russian invasion in Europe was behind the “steady influx” of asylum seekers coming to the region over the last decade.

Her comments come as new figures released by the Home Office show as of March 31, a total of 7,478 asylum seekers were being supported in the North East – rising from 4,443 in 2020.

In County Durham, a total of 448 asylum seekers – defined as a person who has left their home country due to persecution or violence – were receiving support, up from just two a decade earlier.

And while the Home Office has confirmed that the search for new asylum accommodation has been paused in the county, which is at “sufficient capacity”, challenges remain for organisations like Fran’s.

In total, 50 volunteers work with DAR – supporting what Fran says has been a “steady influx” of asylum seekers from places like Ukraine, Syria and beyond.

She added: “The biggest influx that I have noticed has been Ukrainians, but I think it has been a steady influx.

“I think what we need to do as a country is to develop more settlement schemes abroad so people don’t have to make dangerous boat crossings.

“Some of the people we work with have got incredible stories of resilience to tell and are so determined to work and get on in life and try and improve their situation.”

“From the Syrians and Muslim people I have met, I think they have a lot to contribute to British values.

Darlington Assistance for Refugees (DAR) banner. (Image: FRAN WOOD) “Some of the people we work with have got incredible stories of resilience to tell and are so determined to work and get on in life and try and improve their situation.”

The charity, which has been operating since 2014 and supports asylum seekers with everything from language skills to drop-in activities and more, is also struggling to find funding – placing it in a “critical situation”.

Ms Wood said: “I think the main challenge is funding. Finding funding to support asylum seekers is really difficult.

“We try and apply for funding. We have applied for about 20 funds this year and only had three positives, and those aren’t for the full amount we asked for.

DAR volunteers. (Image: FRAN WOOD) “We are in a critical situation where we desperately need funding – and it’s not forthcoming. It’s tough.”

Currently, the embargo on new asylum seeker dwellings in County Durham will be in place for three months – but Reform UK previously said it hoped the news would be the first step toward a “permanent freeze”.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We have currently paused the search for any new asylum dispersed accommodation in County Durham, as we believe we have sufficient capacity at this moment.

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“In Autumn 2023, there were more than 400 asylum hotels in use across the UK at a cost of almost £9 million per day, and in the months before the election, the asylum backlog soared again as decision-making collapsed, placing the entire asylum system under unprecedented strain.

“We are working to share the responsibility for accommodating asylum seekers more fairly across the country, in close consultation with local authorities and other stakeholders, to reduce our reliance on hotels and deliver better value for money for taxpayers.”

A spokesperson for Durham County Council confirmed they have “raised concerns” about the suitability of some properties for acquisition and conversion for asylum seekers, reiterating that said process has been temporarily paused.

A Darlington Borough Council spokesperson added that they have not received “any official complaints” about the increase in asylum seekers in the area.