Here are the number of refugees and asylum seekers currently living in hotels across West Northamptonshire

There have been a large number of refugees and asylum seekers placed in temporary accommodation across West Northamptonshire in the last couple of years.

The area has seen hotels used as part of an Afghanistan resettlement programme, as well as the Home Office’s wider asylum contingency accommodation.

Some of those escaping war in Ukraine have also fled to the area to stay with generous hosts.

As well as housing hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees, other plans have been proposed for more accommodation.

Here is a round-up of everything we know so far about temporary accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers in West Northamptonshire.

250 Afghan refugees

Back in August 2021, it was first announced that West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) had secured funding to provide emergency accommodation for up to 140 refugees as part of the Afghanistan Government’s resettlement scheme. They were initially given accommodation in a West Northamptonshire hotel.

At the time, WNC said it was working closely with the Home Office to ensure that the refugees receive the care and support they need, until longer term arrangements are put in place to resettle them in new homes nationwide.

Around a month later in September 2021, the Government allocated more Afghan refugees to West Northamptonshire, thought to increase the number to more than 300, so another hotel was used for refugees.

Shortly after, a councillor claimed that the second hotel was “not fit for purpose” as it had no communal, kitchen or outside spaces, making it unsuitable for families with children, so the refugees were moved to a different West Northamptonshire hotel.

At this point in 2021, Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire set up an online fundraiser to raise money for those fleeing war as many Northampton residents wanted to help, but were not sure how to. The council also released a list of items that could be donated, which included suitcases, dolls, building blocks and more.

As of January 2023, both this hotel and the original hotel – which we’ve chosen not to name – are still booked out indefinitely. Members of the public cannot book rooms at either venue.

Back in December 2022, the council confirmed around 250 Afghan refugees continue to be housed in two hotels in West Northamptonshire, meaning some have been in temporary accommodation for more than a year.

More than 350 asylum seekers in West Northamptonshire

There are a further three venues in West Northamptonshire being used to house asylum seekers. However these three are separate to the Afghan resettlement scheme. The Home Office is responsible for these venues and they are part of the Government’s asylum contingency accommodation scheme, which could aid asylum seekers from any country.

The council says a total of more than 350 asylum seekers are currently staying in these venues as part of the contingency accommodation scheme.

Ibis, Crick

In March 2022, the Home Office told WNC that it intended to use the Ibis Rugby East hotel close to Crick and junction 18 of the M1, for temporary accommodation, for migrants from a number of countries.

The council stressed at the time that this was a private arrangement between the Home Office and the hotel and it had not been involved in the provision of day-to-day support.

In October, Northamptonshire Police said they had taken a “number of actions” to tackle issues in Crick the hotel had been taken over by the Home Office.

Residents had reported a number of incidents to police, as well as on social media, and say they have also written to local MP Chris Heaton-Harris.

Other villagers posted more sympathetic messages and said people thought to be staying at the hotel had been “very polite.”

It is believed more than 160 asylum seekers are currently staying at the hotel.

Westone Manor, Weston Favell

In October 2022, a couple approached Chronicle & Echo after their wedding planned for March 2023 at Westone Manor was cancelled.

The hotel is booked out and all of its events are marked as ‘sold out’.

Home Office contingency accommodation

Both Ibis, Crick, Westone Manor, and a third West Northamptonshire hotel are booked out indefinitely.

The Home Office will not officially confirm that the Government is using these hotels for its asylum contingency accommodation scheme.

Instead, a Home Office spokesman said: “The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain.

“The use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable – there are currently more than 37,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the UK taxpayer £5.6 million a day.

“This is a short-term solution and we are working hard with local authorities to find appropriate accommodation.”

Other Home Office plans

Highgate Hotel, Creaton

At the end of 2022, WNC was told by the Home Office that it intended to use the former Highgate House Hotel in the village of Creaton as a fourth site for asylum contingency accommodation.

The council was told that up to 400 asylum seekers could be given temporary accommodation at the former hotel, which had recently been sold to new owners. WNC condemned the decision and said it was “unacceptable” “as services already in high demand face increasing pressure”.

After meetings and a campaign from residents, MP Chris Heaton-Harris, the council and other agencies, the move was cancelled by the Home Office on January 14, due to a “change in accommodation criteria, which means Highgate House has been deemed unsuitable”.

Residents felt the former hotel was an unsuitable place for the migrants due to already mounting pressure on local provisions including Northampton General Hospital, primary and secondary schools, GPs and transportation.

Westgate House, Gayton

In January 2023, a retrospective application for planning permission was submitted to change Westgate House in Eastcote Road, Grayton from care home use to a large house of multiple occupancy (HMO)/hostel.

The accommodation has been deemed as suitable to house a number of asylum seekers, as stated in the planning application to West Northamptonshire Council.

Concerns have been raised by villagers about lack of amenities, transport links and facilities in Gayton. The parish council says it is working on its response.

Planning documents state that Westgate House has been selected by the Home Office “as appropriate accommodation to meet the significant demand for specialist HMO/Hostel accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers whilst their applications are being processed”.

The Home Office has been contacted for comment about this planning application.

It has since been revealed by WNC that Westgate is currently being used as a hostel to house a number of people ‘local to the area’. Hence the need to apply for restrospective planning permission for change of use.

WNC said it had not been consulted by the Home Office on any plans for considering the use of Westgate House as asylum contingency accommodation.

How many refugees asylum seekers are currently housed in West Northamptonshire?

In total, there are more than 600 asylum seekers and refugees currently in temporary accommodation in West Northamptonshire. There are 250 Afghan refugees and more than 350 asylum seekers.

This is thought to be the highest number in any area across the East Midlands. The figure could also increase if the former care home in Gayton is used as temporary accommodation.

If the Creaton plan would have gone ahead, that figure would have tipped to more than 1,000, which the council said was “unacceptable” due to the strain on services.

In addition, there are also 500 Ukrainian refugees staying with hosts in the area.

In December 2022, when the Creaton proposal was first announced, a council spokesman said: "The council and its residents have welcomed many asylum seekers over the recent months and currently supports the largest number of hotel guests in the East Midlands. While we are proud of this record it is because of this that we expressed our concerns over the unsuitability of the proposed location [the now scrapped Creaton plan] and the added strain that providing access to essential services would place on already-stretched health, education and social care."

At the time, leader of WNC Councillor Jonthan Nunn also said: "We’re incredibly proud that West Northamptonshire has welcomed many families and individuals fleeing persecution and conflict into our area through our resettlement schemes, and residents tell us that they are too. But it’s only right that we have sufficient resources in place to meet their essential needs and help make the best of their situation.

"This latest decision by the Home Office [the now scrapped Creaton plan] has placed services in our area under unreasonable and unsustainable pressure.

"This is not acceptable when there are other areas with nowhere close to the same kind of commitment.”

In a Home Office report published in December 2022, figures revealed that in the nine months to September 2022, there were 52,525 asylum applications in the UK relating to 63,032 individuals.