It is "entirely false” to say that people with settled asylum claims have been prioritised for social housing, City of Edinburgh Council has said.
The local authority has hit back following an article in the Telegraph newspaper and subsequent social media commentary.
Addressing "misinformation" circulating online, the council confirmed it does not house asylum seekers, as this is a matter reserved to the Home Office.
A statement added: “People who have been assessed and granted ‘Leave to Remain’ status by the Home Office have legal rights to services including access to housing and other public services. They are afforded the same process, support and respect as every other applicant.
“It is entirely false to say people in this position have been prioritised for housing.”
The council is legally required to provide advice, assistance, and temporary housing to anyone who declares as homeless. They do not have to have a local connection to Edinburgh.
Addressing the April 2025 decision to pause the letting of council housing, which critics falsely claimed effectively allowed people with settled status to jump the queue ahead of ‘native Scots’, the council said:
“To address the housing emergency in Edinburgh and to reduce the number of people staying in unsuitable temporary accommodation, we temporarily paused the letting of council homes and accelerated our work to bring empty council housing back into use.
“This has allowed us to prioritise temporary housing for people...
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