ASYLUM-seeking refugees who want to take on British citizenship to escape from their homeland are being housed in Blackburn - and more may be on the way.

Social services chiefs have taken in two refugees who claimed asylum when they arrived in this country, one of them from the war-torn African state of Somalia and the other from the troubled Kashmir region of Pakistan.

Home Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw asked authorities all over Britain to take on asylum seekers to take the pressure off councils in London and the South East.

The two asylum seekers who are currently in Blackburn have been housed in private sector accommodation.

Council leader Malcolm Doherty said: "We have offered support to a small number of asylum seekers and expect to do so again over the course of the next few weeks, and we will be discussing the implications with the Home Office and our partners in the borough.

"Authorities in Kent and London have faced an increasing demand to accommodate the many thousands of people seeking asylum in this country.

"The government has said it expects the overall number of people seeking asylum to reduce when the Immigration and Asylum Act, implemented last month, begins to take effect.

"Blackburn with Darwen Council has worked in partnership with other agencies in the recent past to accommodate refugees from Kosovo and will be drawing on its experience there to ensure the needs of asylum seekers are taken into consideration.

"We have been assured by the government that we will not face an unmanageable burden as a result of accommodating people seeking asylum.

"The council will be able to claim back from the government up to £150 for single adults and £220 for families through arrangements that are currently being implemented."

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