The Conservative Party has hit out at Clarion Housing Group for supporting a controversial charity handing out free goods to Channel migrants. Clarion Housing Group, Britain's largest social housing provider with 125,000 properties across the United Kingdom, provides rent-free commercial premises to Care4Calais at a shopping centre it owns in Merton, south London. Care4Calais distributes free goods and services to migrants waiting to cross the English Channel in France and Belgium, as well as to those who have already arrived in Britain.
Clarion said it decided to let Care4Calais use vacant commercial space to support its essential work providing aid to some of the most vulnerable members of society. However, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp urged the company to break off its partnership with the charity immediately.
Mr Philp pointed out that Clarion is a major provider of social housing to refugees, who are likely to include small boat migrants who have had their asylum claims accepted. Care4Calais rejects the idea that small boat migrants are illegal, despite entering the UK without permission being forbidden under British law.
"Clarion must stop providing Care4Calais with free commercial premises immediately. Care4Calais are undermining the UK border by encouraging illegal immigration across the Channel and Clarion are complicit," Mr Philp told the Daily Mail. "Many of these illegal immigrants are then granted asylum and given social housing, which is often provided by Clarion. It is a complete racket."
Housing association reaction and financial claims
Clarion confirmed it is supporting Care4Calais but said it was deeply concerned by any inference that we are profiteering from the asylum system. The housing association does not hold a Home Office contract to house asylum seekers, but it provides social housing in more than 170 local council areas across England.
Data shows that around two per cent of social housing across the country was let to refugees in 2023-24, equivalent to around 4,100 households. Clarion, which operates on a not-for-profit basis, strongly denied claims of financial interest.
Rob Bates, Director of the Centre for Migration Control, criticized the partnership, stating that supporting Care4Calais directly bolsters the financial interests of Clarion. Mr Bates argued that once migrants exit Home Office accommodation after being granted refugee status, they will almost invariably look to join social housing waiting lists.
Clarion strongly rejected the claims, adding that conflating our work to support a local charity doing good work is another example of the toxic reporting which is causing division and unrest in communities across the UK.
Charity Commission probe and past misconduct
Care4Calais describes itself as a volunteer-run refugee charity working with refugees in the UK, France and Belgium, but the organization has attracted significant controversy in recent years. In 2023, its founder, Clare Moseley, resigned after a long-running Charity Commission investigation identified administrative misconduct under her watch.
The three-year probe by the charity regulator highlighted examples of lax internal financial controls, governance failings, poor record keeping and complaints handling. In a separate incident, Ms Moseley admitted to illegally carrying pepper spray in Belgium, claiming she did so for self-defence after being attacked by a migrant and stating she did not know it was against the law.
Distribution of goods and military base sessions
Care4Calais regularly hands out free items to migrants who have entered Britain illegally, relying on hundreds of volunteers over its 2024-25 financial year. According to its annual report, asylum seekers were offered English language support, befriending services, haircuts and picnics.
A total of 162,334 items were distributed by the charity over the year. The handouts included 1,173 Ramadan food packs, 3,765 hoodies, 3,532 pairs of joggers and 1,174 t-shirts. The charity also ran 80 drop-in sessions and 17 large-scale handout sessions at British military bases housing asylum seekers.
Vodafone SIM giveaway and Channel arrivals
The distributions included 2,500 SIM cards featuring six months of free data, received in partnership with Vodafone. The giveaway prompted Reform UK figure Zia Yusuf to threaten legal action against Vodafone and call to immediately review the mobile network operator's public contracts.
In a letter to Margherita Della Valle, chief executive of Vodafone Group, Mr Yusuf accused the firm of helping to facilitate the invasion of Britain by unvetted military-age men. Vodafone responded to the criticism by insisting it only handed out SIM cards to regulated charities, adding that all calls, texts and data were for UK use only.
The controversy comes as another 82 small boat migrants reached Britain over the weekend. Six days earlier, 230 migrants arrived in a single mega-dinghy, setting a new record for crossings. More than 3,000 people have made the crossing since Andy Burnham became prime minister. Care4Calais has been contacted for comment.
