Asylum seekers moved to hotels while councils kept in the dark

COUNCILS are being overwhelmed by asylum seekers because the Home Office is moving hundreds into hotels in their areas without their knowledge, the spending watchdog has said.

The public accounts committee cited cases where up to 160 asylum seekers had been booked into three-star hotels in an area without councils or health authorities being warned.

It follows the disclosure this week by The Daily Telegraph that nearly 10,000 asylum seekers are being housed in up to 100 hotels, nine times the number in March. “In one instance, a group of people were moved to a hotel in a different local authority area, at the last minute and without notifying either the relevant local authority or the NHS bodies affected,” the PAC said.

“In another instance, the asylum services provider had told the affected local authority, but had not informed the local health commissioner that 160 asylum seekers were moving to a local hotel, who could need medical and other services.”

MPS said the lack of preparation and a failure to share data meant elements of the services were “set up to fail”, despite tens of millions of pounds being spent on private accommodation contracts.

The pandemic has partly contributed to the surge in the use of hotels after the Home Office paused the movement of asylum seekers. At the same time, the number of migrants crossing the Channel increased seven-fold on last year with a record 8,500 so far this year.

Hotels not only lacked facilities for children but were unsuitable for families and meant asylum seekers could not register with a GP or enrol their children into school. As of Oct 1, 428 schoolage children had been in hotels for more than 35 days, said the PAC.

“The Home Office should, within three months, set out a plan for how it will quickly and safely reduce the use of hotels and ensure that asylum seekers’ accommodation meets their individual needs,” MPS said.