#mears

View of a sunset over the Detroit River. Handwritten on sleeve: "Sunset, Detroit River. Sept. 1899." Mears.

Labour has announced sweeping immigration and asylum changes designed to address sentiment from many British people that the current system does not work. In this video, we look at one of the companies, Serco, that currently makes millions from what has been described as a “flawed system” by MPs.

— NOVO News

A company running a house where asylum seekers live has been fined £10,000 after the property in the centre of Coventry was found to be in a state of neglect. Coventry City Council said there were "serious breaches of housing regulations" at the house in multiple occupation (HMO) in Lower Ford Street, run by Serco.  Inspections found multiple failings in the management of the house and described it as being "in a state of neglect, with conditions falling far below acceptable standards", the council said, adding that it had issued three penalty notices despite legal representations from Serco.  Serco said it addressed issues as quickly as possible, which is what happened in this case. Councillor Abdul Salam Khan said: "This case sends a clear message that Coventry will not tolerate poor housing conditions, especially where vulnerable residents are concerned. "The scale of the mismanagement uncovered was unacceptable, and the fines imposed reflect our commitment to holding housing providers to account."

— Tanya Gupta, 12 November 2025

A joint investigation has found that the Home Office holds no centralised data on the performances of its three main accommodation providers – Serco, Mears and Clearsprings Ready Homes – which together house almost all of the 100,000 asylum seekers in government accommodation.

In 2019, these firms were awarded public contracts initially estimated to be worth £4bn over 10 years, though costs have since spiralled. Earlier this year the National Audit Office said it expects the Home Office to have spent “£3.1bn on hotels” in the financial year ending in March 2024 alone.

The three companies often act as middlemen – placing asylum seekers in hotels or other accommodation owned by firms in their networks. But our investigation has revealed that the Home Office’s most recent lists of all the subcontracted providers are five years out of date.

One think tank said the Home Office’s admissions, made between November 2023 and May 2024 in response to Freedom of Information requests submitted by Liberty Investigates, are evidence of a “systemic failure” that has seen taxpayers’ bill for asylum housing spiral despite accusations that people are routinely being held in sub-standard accommodation with inadequate care.

Recent Acquisition - Photograph Collection

From October 7, 2022.

Song is "True Love," by Pink.

Evening at Little Sable Point

Silver Lake is located near Mears in Oceana County along the western shores of Michigan's lower peninsula. This aerial photo was taken from south of the lake and features the dunes of Silver Lake State Park and Lake Michigan on the left.

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