An elderly couple from the United Kingdom reportedly received a letter from their council suggesting their home could be purchased and used to house migrants.

Jose and Ted Saunders said the North Northamptonshire Council sent them a “strongly-worded letter” saying their £200,000 home could be subject to “compulsory purchase,” Daily Mail reports.

“An elderly British couple received a letter in the mail from their city council informing them that the authorities were preparing to seize their newly purchased £200,000 home, and use it to house migrants. The couple just moved into their home in November, and received the notice last month,” Ben Swann wrote.

“We are writing as have reason to believe that the above-named premises or land is empty or unused and that you are the owner. We would like to take this opportunity to find out what your intentions are for the premises or site,” the letter read.

“The Government has identified empty privately owned properties as a potential cause of blight within communities, and as a wasted resource at time of high housing need. It is setting targets for Local Authorities and is requiring action by them to reduce this problem,” it continued.

“The Resettlement Team at North Northamptonshire Council supports asylum seekers and refugees across three different projects: Homes for Ukraine, Afghan Resettlement, and Asylum Dispersal,” it added.

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Daily Mail reports:

It said their neat mid-terraced house in Rushden, near Wellingborough, was deemed to be an empty property, or was ‘derelict’ and the council could even force them to sell it.

‘I couldn’t believe it,’ said retired carer Jose, 76. ‘We moved to Rushden to help provide childcare for my grand-daughter and found this nice little place to live.

‘The idea of forcing us to sell it to make room for refugees and asylum seekers seems totally wrong.’

The letter, headed ‘Empty Properties and sites initiative’ had their exact address in bold and stated: ‘We are writing as we have reason to believe that the above-named premises… is empty or unused.

‘The Government has identified empty privately-owned properties as a potential cause o blight within communities, and as a wasted resource at time of high housing need.’

The letter continued that the council was seeing a ‘considerable increase’ in positive immigration decisions being made in favour of asylum seekers, mainly single men, and the authority was ‘struggling’ to source suitable accommodation for them.

It added: ‘The ideal long-term solution would be to provide accommodation by using empty properties which would benefit owners and the project.’

It said the council could make a compulsory purchase order on the property.

The couple called the council to find out why they received the letter.

The council apologized, saying their staff mistakenly labeled the house for possible compulsory purchase.

Daily Mail noted the couple criticized the policy.

“What on earth is the council doing forcing people to sell their houses, and even an empty house is owned by someone, so that asylum seekers can live in them?” Jose asked, according to the outlet.

“The answer to this is to stop them coming in the first place, not to force people out of their homes,” she added.

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