Asylum seekers living in accommodation with red front doors, which which they say could identify their status, will have their doors repainted after they have suffered racial abuse.
The Times revealed asylum seekers in Middlesbrough, north-east England, had eggs and stones thrown at their homes, dog excrement smeared on windows and racist jibes shouted at them.
The properties, owned by Stuart Monk, are subcontracted to Jomast from G4S, the security company, who hold the contract for asylum seekers in the North-east.
G4S and Jomast denied claims asylum seekers had been identified by red doors, but accepted the majority of doors, both private and asylum accommodation, were painted red.
In a statement, G4S said: “Although we have received no complaints on the issue from asylum seekers we house, in light of the concerns raised Jomast has agreed to address the issue by repainting the front doors in the area so that there is no predominant colour.”
However, Suzanne Fletcher, a local resident who chairs the Liberal Democrats for Seekers of Sanctuary, reportedly said over the last four years the case had been raised with the Home Affairs committee, the National Audit Office and former Redcar MP Ian Swales.
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "In September 2012 we asked G4S if they would do something about the red doors and they replied that they had no intention of doing anything about it."
As well as reportedlypreviously raising the case, other residents had attempted to deal with matters themselves.
The Times reported Ahmad Zubair, from Afghanistan, said: "Asylum houses have red doors. Everyone knows that.”
He had repainted his front door white, but claims a Jomast worker repainted it red citing company policy.
Iranian asylum seeker Mohammed Bagher Bayzavi, 58, said he asked for a different coloured front door after being plagued by youths throwing eggs and prostitutes banging on his windows and said neighbours without red doors were not targeted.
Andy McDonald, the member of parliament representing Middlesbrough, told the Times the red doors were "a way of marking people out that is reprehensible", while his predecessor Ian Swales said they reminded him of "Germany in the 1930s".
Immigration minister, James Brokenshire, said: “I am deeply concerned by this issue and I have commissioned Home Office officials to conduct an urgent audit of asylum seeking housing in the north-east.”
The Times found that 155 of the 168 houses it visited in Middlesbrough were red. Out of the 66 residents reporters spoke to, 62 of them were asylum seekers, from 22 nationalities.
The immigration minister added: “I expect 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.”
Stuart Monk and Jomast have been approached for comment.
G4S has been contacted, but currently has no comment on Ms Fletcher’s claims.
