No rooms until 2022 at hotel as Govt plans for Afghan families
OFFICIALS have refused to confirm whether a hotel on the DerbyshireNottinghamshire border is being used to house asylum seekers.
However, it has been confirmed that venues are being used to provide accommodation for Afghan families fleeing the Taliban.
The Government says it will neither confirm nor deny whether people seeking asylum in the UK have been placed in the luxury Risley Hall Hotel near Sandiacre, where no rooms are available to book for several months.
The historic hall is a popular wedding and dining venue, and boasts 35 luxurious rooms with ten acres of private landscaped gardens and grounds.
It comes after officials also refused to say whether the Days Inn on the A50 was being used for a similar purpose, while the Derby Midland Hotel in Derby has been closed to guests for more than a year after asylum seekers were housed there.
It comes as thousands of refugees have arrived in the UK from Afghanistan after the Taliban surged into power last month following the withdrawal of US troops.
According to the Risley Hall Hotel website, there are no rooms available for booking until January 1, next year, at the earliest.
When the Derby Telegraph contacted Risley Hall it was directed to the Home Office and Serco. When the Derby Telegraph contacted Serco it was directed to the Home Office.
The Home Office said it does not confirm the use of specific locations being used to house asylum seekers, but did provide the following statement on the use of hotels in general.
“A significant cross Government effort is under way to ensure the thousands of Afghans who were evacuated to the UK receive the support they need to rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education, and integrate into their local communities,” the spokesperson said.
“We continue to work with local authorities to source appropriate accommodation as quickly as possible before families end their managed isolation.
“We move families to hotels where self-isolation is not required, once their managed isolation period has ended.
“While in hotels all families are given full board meals and any essential basic items they need.
“The Government will be issuing cash cards to all those staying in temporary hotel accommodation. We are ensuring emergency cash is available to those who need it in the interim.”