Council plea for help to sustain 180 asylum seekers living in a Northamptonshire village hotel

A council will make “strong representations” to the Home Office to give more funding for the operation of a hotel where 180 asylum seekers are staying. The men are living at a hotel near Crick but the authority said it has received no funding to help accommodate their needs.

Coun David Smith, West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) cabinet member for community safety, engagement and regulatory services, told a meeting the lack of funding is “simply not fair” on the area’s residents and those staying at the contingency hotels.

In a statement, the Home Office said the use of hotels to house asylum seekers is “unacceptable”. It said it wants to cut their use and “limit the burden on the taxpayer and local communities”.

Coun Rosie Humphreys, WNC councillor for Braunston and Crick, said the community’s impact at the Ibis hotel had been “truly heartening” but that funding was needed to ensure volunteers helping the asylum seekers could be properly coordinated.

“There was an incredible welcome event attended by 100 asylum seekers and about as many locals, football sessions, English conversation classes, etc. But it can’t be sustained without somebody in a paid post at the hotel to liaise with the volunteers. It’s a huge strain on time to deal with the hotel,” she said.

In December, about 670 asylum seekers were staying in Northamptonshire hotels. About 630 of those were being accommodated in West Northamptonshire, with about 40 in North Northamptonshire. According to Home Office figures, the asylum system is costing £3bn a year, including about £6m a day on hotel accommodation.

Coun Smith said: “We receive zero funding from the Home Office but it’s a huge burden on West Northamptonshire and its residents and its voluntary sector. So I’m going to be talking to officers about making further strong representations to the Home Office.

“It’s simply not fair on either the residents of West Northamptonshire or the residents at the contingency hotels that their needs are being covered but that every day that passes by it becomes a little more difficult.”

A Home Office spokesperson said:“The use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable – we remain committed to making every effort to reduce hotel use and limit the burden on the taxpayer and the local communities.

“We continue to engage with local authorities as early as possible whenever sites are used for asylum accommodation and work to ensure arrangements are safe for hotel residents and local people.”