Reform Calls for Foreign Nationals to Be Barred From Welsh House-Shares

Reform UK has called for foreign nationals to be barred from licensed houses in multiple occupation and social housing in Wales, in a motion that was rejected by a majority of Senedd members.

The proposal triggered a heated debate at the Senedd, with Reform arguing that housing policy should prioritise Welsh and British citizens.

Opponents accused the party of conflating immigration with housing pressures and warned that the proposed restrictions could affect people who are legally entitled to live and work in Wales.

The motion was defeated by 57 votes to 31.

What Reform proposed

The Reform motion called for the Welsh Government to overhaul the rules governing houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and social-housing eligibility.

It sought to:

• End access to licensed HMOs for foreign nationals

• End access to social housing for foreign nationals

• Work with the UK Government where necessary to implement the changes

• Link immigration policy more closely to housing capacity

Reform MS Francesca O'Brien, representing Gŵyr Abertawe, said social housing should prioritise Welsh families, veterans and people who had contributed to the country.

Reform MSs also argued that Wales does not have enough housing stock to accommodate growing demand.

Reform links HMOs to asylum accommodation

During the debate, Reform members repeatedly raised the use of HMOs in relation to asylum accommodation.

Reform MS Paul Marr said constituents had raised concerns about asylum seekers arriving at HMOs, while acknowledging that their arrival did not itself demonstrate wrongdoing.

Another Reform MS, John Clark, argued that HMOs had become a way of avoiding difficult decisions about immigration and housing.

The party's Joe Martin also argued that foreign nationals living in social housing should be required to find privately owned accommodation within three months or face deportation.

That proposal drew a strong response from the Welsh Government.

Government accuses Reform of wanting families removed

Plaid Cymru Housing Minister Sian Gwenllian described the proposal as "inhumane".

She questioned whether Reform's policy would mean families who have a legal right to live in Wales being removed from their homes.

Gwenllian also rejected the suggestion that HMOs should be treated as an immigration category.

She said HMOs provide accommodation for a wide range of people, including students and young professionals, and argued that only a small proportion are used to house asylum seekers.

She said the existing licensing system gives councils powers to regulate HMOs, impose conditions, inspect properties and take action against landlords where accommodation is unsafe.

Concerns over who could be affected

Other MSs warned that Reform's proposed restrictions could have consequences beyond asylum seekers.

Conservative MS Peter Fox said the policy could affect foreign students living in HMOs while attending Welsh universities, as well as workers who are legally entitled to live in Wales.

He also raised concerns about Irish citizens whose rights are protected under the Common Travel Area.

Reform's Tom Montgomery said the proposed policy would not apply to EU citizens with settled status.

The debate therefore highlighted a key distinction between foreign nationals generally and people whose immigration status gives them legal rights to live and work in the UK.

Senedd rejects the motion

The Reform motion was rejected by 57 MSs, while 31 voted in favour.

Because it was a Senedd motion rather than binding legislation, its defeat does not itself change Welsh housing or immigration law.

Instead, the vote demonstrated the political divide over how Wales should respond to pressures on housing, asylum accommodation and immigration.

An amendment supported by the Welsh Government and Labour was passed by the same margin.

It backed the principle of "fair and sustainable dispersal arrangements" for asylum seekers.

How HMOs are currently regulated

Existing Welsh legislation requires certain HMOs to be licensed.

This applies where a property is at least three storeys high, houses five or more people from two or more households, and has shared facilities such as toilets or bathrooms.

Local authorities can also extend licensing requirements where local circumstances justify doing so.

Councils can impose conditions, inspect properties and take enforcement action against landlords operating unsafe or unsuitable accommodation.

The Welsh Government therefore argues that the existing HMO framework can be used to address housing standards without introducing restrictions based simply on nationality.

A wider debate over housing and immigration

The Senedd debate reflects a broader political argument about the relationship between immigration and Wales's housing pressures.

Reform argues that limited housing supply means local and British citizens should receive priority.

Other parties argue that housing shortages have wider causes and that nationality-based restrictions could affect students, workers and families who have legal rights to live in Wales.

The debate also highlights the distinction between housing policy, immigration policy and the legal status of people living in Wales.

Immigration is largely reserved to the UK Government, while housing is devolved to Wales.

That means any major change involving both areas would require cooperation between Cardiff Bay and Westminster.

The Real Terryo view

The Senedd vote does not end the debate over housing capacity or asylum accommodation.

It does, however, demonstrate the sharply different approaches being offered by the parties.

Reform is calling for nationality-based restrictions on access to certain housing.

The Welsh Government and other opponents argue for regulation, housing investment and sustainable asylum dispersal arrangements instead.

For voters, the key questions are likely to be whether Wales has enough suitable housing, how asylum accommodation should be managed, how social housing should be allocated and how any proposed changes would interact with existing legal rights.

The vote is over. The wider debate about housing, immigration and who gets access to accommodation in Wales is not.