LONDON -- A property company is accused of painting red the doors of houses in Middlesbrough that it rents to asylum seekers, making them easy to identify and vulnerable to attack, according to a report in The Times.
The homes are owned by property company Jomast, a subcontractor for global security group G4S, which holds the Home Office asylum contract for northeast England, the paper says.
Immigration minister James Brokenshire has ordered a review, saying he's "deeply concerned by this issue."
Residents of some of the houses have said they've been victim of several incidents, with stones and eggs being thrown at windows and dog excrement smeared against doors. A National Front symbol was scratched into one door, the paper reports.
People at one house reportedly painted their door white, only to have it repainted red by contractors.
“They put us behind red doors," one man whose house was targeted said. "When people see them, everyone knows it means asylum seekers. It’s like saying we’re not the same as you.”
G4S denied that the doors were painted red as part of a policy, but said they will repaint the doors in the area.
Categorically no G4S policy to house asylum seekers behind red doors, however Jomast will repaint doors in area to address concerns raised— G4S (@G4S) January 20, 2016
According to the Times, Jomast said the property company “does not distinguish between those properties that it rents to private tenants and those . . . used to house asylum seekers”.
The Times went to 168 Jomast homes and found that 155 had red front doors. Asylum seekers lived in 62 of 66 homes visited.
Suzanne Fletcher, a retired local councillor told the BBC she had brought the issue up with G4S back in 2012. "Over four years ago when I was working with groups of asylum seekers, they were worried it marked them out and were worried about attacks," she said.
"The red doors made it easy to identify the asylum seekers" - Suzanne Fletcher, retired Councillor https://t.co/bikEhKKo8L— Victoria Derbyshire (@VictoriaLIVE) January 20, 2016
Brokenshire said Wednesday he expects "the highest standards from our contractors. If we find any evidence of discrimination against asylum seekers it will be dealt with immediately as any such behaviour will not be tolerated.”