The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Protest by asylum seekers
Westminster City Council has raised concerns and called on Home Secretary Suella Braverman to clarify the situation after a group of around 40 asylum seekers were left without accommodation in Westminster for two nights.
The council leader expressed his deep concern that the refugees were placed in the borough without appropriate support or prior communication with the local authority.
It appears the group refused to enter a hotel in Pimlico, London, where the Home Office had arranged accommodation for them, citing overcrowded conditions.
Yesterday morning around 20 individuals remained outside the hotel in protest, sitting on the floor and dressed in warm clothing despite the weather.
Belongings such as suitcases, sleeping bags and food trays were scattered on the pavement.
The group later briefly stood in the middle of Belgrave Road, blocking traffic, before being escorted to the pavement by Met Police officers.
A spokesperson for the force said officers were “engaging with those involved and remain at the location in order to prevent any breach of the peace”.
Later in the afternoon, some of the asylum seekers entered the hotel to speak with a Home Office representative, although it was unclear if an agreement had been reached.
Westminster City Council leader Adam Hug expressed his dismay at the situation, criticising the decision to ask traumatised individuals to share cramped rooms with strangers.
He called the government’s demand a breach of common sense and basic decency, highlighting the associated safeguarding and health risks, and requested urgent clarification from the home secretary on why this situation occurred, why it was deemed acceptable and why no communication was made with the local authority.
The council said rough sleeping teams were providing support to the refugees.
A Home Office spokesman said: “The accommodation offered to asylum seekers by providers, on a no-choice basis, is of a decent standard and meets all legal and contractual requirements.”