A refugee support charity said it “does not set national policy” after a Conservative-run council refused to award it a £120,000 government-funded grant.
The Refugee and Migrant Centre charity provides free advice, practical casework and holistic support to refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in the West Midlands.
The charity was set to receive a £120,000 grant from the government but this was blocked by Dudley Council, according to the Express and Star newspaper.
Steve Clark, the cabinet member for resources at Dudley Council, refused to accept cash from Westminster to fund the charity, according to the newspaper.
Clark said: “While this contract is technically covered by an external grant, it is being managed in an ad-hoc way that bypasses standard competitive tendering rules.
“More importantly, it creates long-term structural pressures on our borough.”
In a statement, the senior leadership team of the RMC said its charity “does not set national policy, decide who comes to the UK or their legal status”.
The statement said: “Our role is simply to support people who are already here to navigate the reality of their circumstances and hopefully become an integral part of the wonderful and diverse fabric of the West Midlands.
“As always, we will continue to work constructively and pragmatically with a very broad range of partners.”
The charity said it had supported communities across the West Midlands for more than 25 years and had seen its service users “contribute hugely” to the communities they became part of.
“We are here for all newcomers, including those who supported the British armed forces abroad, resettled Ukrainian refugees, EU migrants, the Windrush generation and British nationals (overseas) from Hong Kong,” the charity said.
“Throughout our area of operations, we work with a wide variety of partners, including statutory agencies, to provide a broad range of support including employment, citizenship, English language classes, health inequalities, domestic violence and financial inclusion.
“The RMC enables people to rebuild their lives. Our specialised and cost-effective approach prevents issues from becoming complex and more expensive for public services.”
Patrick Harley, the leader of Dudley Council, said: “Dudley Council should not be acting as an administrative arm to clean up the government’s failure to control the UK’s borders.
“If central government wants to hand out help to asylum seekers and refugees, they should administer it themselves instead of passing the buck to local authorities.”