‘Fear of disorder behind asylum secrecy’ screamed The Courier’s front page on Monday morning. 

Inside, the article suggested that Perth and Kinross Council had deliberately withheld information about meetings concerning asylum seekers in the city. The implication was clear: what was the Council hiding, and why such secrecy? It could hardly have been more provocative.

This framing feeds directly into the narrative pushed by opponents of asylum hotels — that asylum seekers receive special protection and that their behaviour is being covered up. Unsurprisingly, the Courier’s story was quickly seized on and shared by those organising the protests against the asylum seekers.

At the same time, many of the agencies supporting asylum seekers contacted us to express their concern. They felt the article was unhelpful and risked fuelling suspicion and hostility towards asylum seekers in the city.

The Courier’s main argument was that the Council should have disclosed details of its meetings with the Home Office, and they were especially aggrieved that their Freedom of Information request had been rejected. In reality, the Council followed standard procedure: releasing such information could have jeopardised crime prevention, including crime directed towards the asylum seekers, as well as immigration controls. The refusal was entirely proper and the reasons were clearly explained to the Courier.

In fact, Perth and Kinross Council has gone further than many local authorities by publishing data on the numbers and nationalities of asylum seekers. In an effort to be transparent, the Council even provided the Courier with a 107-page document containing agendas for meetings dating back to 2023. None of this, however, seemed to satisfy a newspaper determined to link asylum policy to its wider campaign about transparency at the Council.

As the Council told the Courier — a point the paper chose not to publish — these multi-agency meetings are operational forums where public bodies and community groups share updates and coordinate support. They are not secretive plotting sessions. Sensitive individual cases are sometimes discussed, as are false rumours, online abuse, and racist incidents.

It is also important to be clear: the decision to house asylum seekers in hotels rests entirely with the Home Office, not local councils. Scottish councils have no say in asylum policy; their role is limited to the care and welfare of those placed in their areas.

What makes Monday’s front page particularly disappointing is that, until now, the Courier’s coverage of this issue has generally been responsible and valuable. They have challenged misinformation and reported the story in a balanced way. But on an issue as sensitive as asylum, words matter. This headline alarmed agencies working with asylum seekers, and risks heightening community tensions at a fragile time.

This is not about me, as the Courier implied. It is about ensuring that our local debate does not inflame division or fear. I sincerely hope we never see another headline like that again.