How hundreds seeking refuge are housed has sparked huge debate
HULL is home to around 500 asylum seekers in private accommodation, but the way they are housed here has ignited a fierce debate.
City council officials, as well as MPS, say they are concerned about the way Mears Group is placing asylum seekers in the city under a £1bn Home Office contract.
Around 130 are currently living in the Britannia Royal Hotel, despite strong council opposition and little local consultation.
Other properties where asylum seekers have been placed include a number of houses of multiple occupation (HMOS) and an ex-care home in west Hull we visited to shine a light on the poor conditions there.
City council concerns
Council and health leaders have repeatedly raised concerns about being excluded from the decision-making process.
In August 2020, Hull City Council criticised the decision to house asylum seekers in The Royal Hotel in Ferensway.
Backed by the city’s MPS, it objected to the “private arrangement” between the
Home Office, Britannia Hotels and Mears.
While accepting Hull should welcome those seeking asylum in the UK, the council said the Royal Hotel is not a suitable venue.
More recently, the council submitted detailed evidence to an inquiry by MPS on the Public Accounts Committee outlining concerns over the Mears Group’s delivery of the contract in the city.
Worries over safeguarding and health
In its evidence to the Public Accounts Committee, the council wrote: “Since the start of the contract, Hull City Council and other local authorities have been informed by the Home Office and Mears that the use of hotels as initial accommodation would continue unless local authorities, including Hull, would agree to increased asylum procurement and increases in asylum numbers.
“The council regards this as an attempt to force local authorities, who are already committing a great
deal to existing asylum and refugee provision, to accept increased impacts on services, the voluntary sector and the local community.
“The council has concerns around the lack of systems in place to monitor risks within the contract, particularly around the delivery of safeguarding and health and welfare functions in respect of the asylum seekers being accommodated both in hotels and in dispersed accommodation.
“There are continued concerns over the delivery of asylum contracts and the Home Office and Mears Group’s proposed actions regarding hotel use and procurement of houses-in-multipleoccupation (HMOS) as asylum accommodation, which will increase asylum numbers in the city.
“Processes in place appear to be inadequate and largely unmanaged. There are also significant knock-on
consequences to the public purse as locally-operating public services are forced to step in to support people.” ‘Unacceptable failure’ by the Home Office
Public Accounts Committee chairman Meg Hillier said there had been an “unacceptable failure” by the Home Office to communicate with councils and health services over the rapid shift of asylum seekers into hotels and other types of accommodation around the UK.
She said: “The Home Office has cranked up the payments for these new contracts – now it must prove it can correspondingly crank up performance and deliver at least decent, suitable accommodation and services to people fleeing war and persecution to seek asylum in this country.
John Grayson, of the South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum
Action Group, said: “The contracts are the largest ever awarded by the Home Office - literally billions of taxpayers’ money over the next ten years.
“At present, monitoring, accountability and transparency in the management of them is, in my view, woefully inadequate.” ‘Additional resources needed’ Hull West and Hessle MP Emma Hardy said she had concerns over the way Mears was operating its contract in Hull.
She said: “I have raised concerns in the past, both with Mears and the government, about the standard of accommodation being used to house these vulnerable people.
“I am very grateful to the local refugee charities and Hull City Council who are doing what they can, but we need the Government to provide the additional resources needed.”
What Mears say about the issue
A Mears spokesman told Hull Live: “Temporary use of hotel accommodation is in line with the contingency arrangements taken across the UK to accommodate and support asylum seekers due to a rise in numbers of people in the system.
“Mears has engaged with the local authority and other partners on these arrangements. We will continue to work to procure suitable dispersal accommodation and reduce hotel use.”
The company said asylum seekers in the hotel were provided with three meals a day along with snacks and drinks.
It said on-site support for welfare issues is provided by Mears staff who worked with the NHS to arrange any necessary healthcare. Resident welfare managers employed by the company are based at hotels.
On dispersal accommodation, the spokesman said: “Mears provide accommodation for asylum seekers that is safe, habitable and fit for purpose.
“Accommodation is in good repair and cleaned prior to occupation.”
Home Office response
In a statement, a Home Office spokesman said: “We are dealing with an unprecedented increase in asylum cases, but despite this we continue to ensure that the accommodation provided is safe, secure and leaves no one destitute.
“Hull City Council’s support for asylum seekers and refugees has been, and remains very welcome and we continue to engage with them on plans to house asylum seekers.
“We are satisfied that our contractors are meeting their obligations to provide suitable accommodation.”