Connect with us

News

Asylum seekers to be moved from Wisbech, Peterborough and St Ives hotels

NE Cambs MP Steve Barclay and Peterborough MP Paul Bristow among first to hear two hotels will no longer house asylum seekers

Avatar photo

Published

on

Asylum seekers are to be moved out of three Cambridgeshire hotels – the Great Northern in Peterborough, the Dolphin at St Ives and the Rose and Crown at Wisbech. The Government says asylum seekers currently staying in these hotels will be moving to other parts of the UK’s asylum estate, including the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset, which has capacity for up to 500 men.

The three Cambridgeshire hotels are among the first 50 across the UK that the Government says will stop housing asylum seekers by the end of January.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said this was as a result of a more than 20 per cent drop in small boat crossings compared to last year.

NE Cambs MP Steve Barclay and Peterborough MP Paul Bristow were among the first to hear the news.

“Super news,” said Mr Bristow. “The Great Northern Hotel will shortly be stood down as a hostel for young men who have crossed the Channel on small boats.

“It will be back as a hotel at the gateway to our city.

“Hopefully this will be a new chapter in the history of this historic hotel. It is also good news for our station redevelopment.”

Cllr Samantha Hoy: “In our opinion asylum seekers should never have been put there (Rose and Crown hotel) in the first place and that’s why we took legal action against the Government.”

Cllr Samantha Hoy: “In our opinion asylum seekers should never have been put there (Rose and Crown hotel) in the first place and that’s why we took legal action against the Government.”

In Wisbech, Cllr Samantha Hoy, cabinet member for housing at Fenland District Council, welcomed the news.

“In our opinion asylum seekers should never have been put there in the first place and that’s why we took legal action against the Government,” she said.

“We feel its no coincidence that our strong stance led to Wisbech being in the first batch of 50 around the country and all the asylum seekers will be moved out in the next three months.”

The Great Northern Hotel – opposite Peterborough rail station – has been used to accommodate up to 80 men who began moving in last November.

In Wisbech around 20 young men were housed at the Rose and Crown.

Fenland District Council Leader, Cllr Chris Boden, said at the time that “we remain deeply concerned about the housing of asylum seekers there.

Advertisements
canopyuk.com in-article

“There has been no consideration of the potential risks these vulnerable people will be facing or the significant amount of support they will need.”

Fenland Council unsuccessfully fought in the courts to halt the hotel being used for asylum seekers.

The council’s lawyers had used terms such as “significant deprivation”, “organised crime” and a “history of migrant exploitation” as reasons why they felt Serco should be denied a contract to house asylum seekers at the hotel.

The Home Office says it is terminating the contract with Great Northern Hotel as asylum accommodation and it will cease being used by the end of February 2024, “reflecting the contractual notice period on this property.

Asylum seekers arrived at the 3-star Great Northern Hotel, Peterborough, to be greeted – online and on TV – by a barrage of criticism from MP Paul Bristow.

Asylum seekers arrived at the 3-star Great Northern Hotel, Peterborough, last November to be greeted – online and on TV – by a barrage of criticism from MP Paul Bristow.

“Residents currently accommodated in the hotel will be moving to other parts of our asylum estate.

“They will be notified a minimum of 5 days in advance and moved by the Home Office in line with our existing published policies. Whilst we expect impacts on local authorities to be minimal, we are putting in place additional resource to work with our accommodation providers and local partners to manage this process and minimise disruption, particularly focusing on families”.

A Home Office statement added: “Dispersal accommodation is significantly cheaper for the taxpayer and far less impactful on local communities.

Great Northern Hotel asylum seekers arrive last November. MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow outside the hotel

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said: “Taxpayers cannot be expected to foot the eye-watering bill for the use of hotels to accommodate individuals making illegal, dangerous and wholly unnecessary small boat crossings.

The 67-bedroom Dolphin Hotel, St Ives, had stopped taking bookings after being given a Government contract to house asylum seekers

The 67-bedroom Dolphin Hotel, St Ives, had stopped taking bookings after being given a Government contract to house asylum seekers

“Our strategy to stop the boats is making progress. With small boat arrivals down more than 20% compared with last year, we can now start to restore these hotels to their rightful use for local communities.

“We remain absolutely determined, through the implementation of the Illegal Migration Act and our Rwanda partnership, to dismantle the smuggling gangs’ business models and stop the boats entirely.”

 

 

 

 

 

Facebook

Read More

News2 months ago

Ely ‘hit and run’ driver sought after cyclist left with serious injuries

Cyclist injured in crash with a grey car in Lynn Road, Ely

News2 months ago

WATCH: Police retrieve machete and cannabis from Peterborough drug dealer

Offender caught again whilst on bail for first offence

News2 months ago

BREAKING: Cambridgeshire County Council ‘truly sorry’ after it admits liability for 3 fatalities on Guided Busway

Council 'fully acknowledges the serious historic failings'

News2 months ago

WATCH: ‘You got me fair and square’ Wisbech burglar tells police in Peterborough

He was arrested in Peterborough city centre on 26 April

News2 months ago

WATCH: Police raid cannabis ‘factory’ inside Alconbury Weston house

Cannabis arrest followed a tip off from members of the public

News2 months ago

3 things to do while in the queue for an Oasis ticket – and it’s not what you might think

Tongue in cheek post has a serious message

News2 months ago

Cambs transport charity launches scathing attack after losing subsidised bus route to Stagecoach

FACT operated the 68 Wisbech service for a number of years

News2 months ago

Mayor attacks ‘cheap theatre of negativity’ over £48m Peterborough station facelift

Labour hopes Great Northern Hotel will be in future phase of re-development

News2 months ago

Opposition to 8am to 11pm pavement wining and dining in Wisbech by Wetherspoon

In Whittlesey Wetherspoon hope to use Market Place for outdoor drinkers

News2 months ago

Cambridge ‘drug lord’ caught with loaded gun, cash, and £500,000 worth of drugs

Rahman ran a criminal enterprise across Cambridge