MP’s speak out over ‘local asylum hotel’
CLEETHORPES MP Martin Vickers has spoken out over residents’ concerns about any possible future asylum seekers’ hotel in the local area and said he welcomed assurances that local authorities will in future get better notice of plans for such lodgings.
Mr Vickers asked Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick what additional resources were being put in so that the Home Office processed asylum applications “in a seemly manner and on time”.
In June 2022, there were 10,276 adults and children who had been waiting more than three years for a decision on their asylum to the UK claim. This was a 350 per cent increase on December 2020, according to figures obtained by the Refugee Council.
Lia Nici, Great Grimsby MP, has also met with a Home Office minister to discuss English Channel small boat crossings.
“My constituents are angry and frustrated about the present situation, and are genuinely concerned about the possibility that a local hotel might suddenly be found to accommodate asylum seekers,” said Mr Vickers in parliament. He continued: “However, I also see the other side of the coin in my role as the Prime Minister’s trade envoy to the western Balkans.
“I meet many Albanians who are here legally and are working in our health service and other public services, but who are being targeted by unruly elements in our society, so there are losers on all sides.”
Robert Jenrick, Minister for Immigration, responded that there were more staff in Home Office processing centres and there will shortly be 1,500 working through claims.
“We are determined to ensure that we return to sensible levels of productivity so that we can bust the backlog,” said Mr Jenrick, before adding other actions besides tackling the backlog needed to be taken.
During his taking of questions in the House of Commons, he also accepted that the Home Office needed to have “proper communications” with local authorities over proposed locations to lodge asylum seekers.
Overall, there were 122,206 people waiting for a decision on their asylum claim in June, compared to just 29,522 in December 2017. This year, the number of people seeking asylum via small boat crossings across the English Channel has also risen.
More than 40,000 have already crossed this year, compared to 28,526 in 2021 and less than 8,500 in 2020. This has in part been driven by an increase in Albanians seeking asylum.
The Home Affairs select committee was told in October by small boats commander Dan O’Mahoney that more than 12,000 Albanians had crossed the Channel in 2022, including 10,000 single men.
Only last week, East Riding Council failed in its injunction extension bid against asylum seekers being held while processed at Humber View Hotel, North Ferriby.
“Where I think the good news was that the minister made clear that local authorities and MPs would now get advance warning of this,” said Mr Vickers.
He felt reassured to “a comfortable extent” by this. “It doesn’t rule out the possibility of one of our hotels being used and the hotel owners up and down the country, particularly these chains who have got some rather past their sell-by date premises, are falling over themselves to get government contracts. But what matters is that the locations are suitable, not town centres and not remote country areas. So, the process of advance warning is very welcome.”
He added: “I will, and I know Lia Nici will as well, be opposing any unsuitable locations in our constituencies.” When there were reports earlier this year of the Home Office planning to use St James’ Hotel, Grimsby, to lodge asylum seekers Ms Nici was vocal in her opposition to the possibility.
She lobbied Home Office ministers about plans for it to be a “contingency hotel” and it was subsequently shelved apparently in favour of people being processed at RAF Manston in Kent. Appalling conditions in the airport asylum seeker centre were reported last month in the wake of an outbreak of diphtheria being confirmed.
On November 17, Ms Nici announced on Twitter that she had met Mr Jenrick to discuss the small boats crossings. “Earlier today I met with Robert Jenrick to discuss constituents’ concerns about illegal small boat crossings and the steps that can be taken to stop them”. The agreement with France is the first step, with more action to come.”