Oldham Council Speaks Out After Claims That Shops Are Being Offered £2,000 to Give Jobs to Asylum Seekers Instead of Unemployed British People

Oldham Council has spoken out after a video spread across social media claiming that local businesses were being offered £2,000 to employ asylum seekers.

The council has strongly denied the claim, saying it is not true and that no such payment scheme exists.

The controversy began when a man shared a video online, claiming that a shop in Oldham had been approached by two people who said they were from the council.

According to the man, he had been shopping in Oldham when a woman working in a local store told him about an unusual offer she had supposedly received.

He claimed the woman told him that two people from Oldham Council had visited the shop and offered the business £2,000 if it agreed to employ an asylum seeker.

The man also alleged that the shop had been promised additional financial support to help pay the asylum seeker’s wages.

He said the business had refused the offer.

The man then questioned why such financial help would be offered to businesses employing asylum seekers when many local people were also unemployed and looking for work.

His comments quickly attracted attention online, with people discussing whether the council was giving businesses money to hire asylum seekers instead of helping unemployed British residents.

However, there was no evidence in the video to prove that the two visitors were actually council workers or that the alleged offer had ever been made.

The video was later shared by the Oldham News and Media social media page, which questioned the story and pointed out that most asylum seekers are not legally allowed to work in the UK while waiting for a decision on their applications.

As the video continued to circulate, Oldham Council decided to respond publicly to clear up the situation.

In its statement, the council said it had become aware of claims on social media suggesting that businesses were being offered £2,000 grants to employ asylum seekers.

The council made it clear that the information was false.

It explained that most asylum seekers do not have permission to work while the Home Office is still considering their asylum applications.

The council also confirmed that it provides employment support to help local residents find jobs, but this does not include paying businesses to employ people from particular backgrounds or groups.

According to the council, there is no scheme offering businesses wage payments or recruitment grants specifically for taking on asylum seekers.

The authority encouraged residents to be careful about the information they read and share on social media.

It warned that misleading stories, particularly those involving sensitive issues such as immigration, could create unnecessary worry, confusion and division within local communities.

The council urged people to check information through official sources before believing or sharing claims online.

Under UK Home Office rules, people who have applied for asylum are generally not allowed to work while waiting for a decision.

However, there are some exceptions.

An asylum seeker may be able to apply for permission to work if their asylum application has been waiting for a decision for more than 12 months and the delay was not caused by them.

Even when permission is granted, there are restrictions on the types of jobs they can do.

This means asylum seekers cannot simply take up any job they want while their applications are being processed.

The situation has brought renewed attention to the debate about employment opportunities, immigration and support for people looking for work in the UK.

Some people have raised questions about whether enough is being done to help unemployed local residents, while others have pointed to the importance of checking facts before making accusations about public spending.

For now, Oldham Council maintains that it has not offered businesses £2,000 to employ asylum seekers and that the claims circulating online do not reflect any council employment scheme.

The council says its existing employment support is aimed at helping residents find work, rather than offering special recruitment payments to businesses for employing asylum seekers.