The Home Office has rubbished rumours that a luxury hotel in Canary Wharf is being used to house asylum seekers from a hotel in Epping, Essex which was targeted by violent protesters earlier this month.
Police swarmed the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf after protesters gathered there last night (Tuesday, July 23) following rumours that asylum seekers from The Bell Hotel, Epping, had been moved there.
The Home Office has since confirmed that there are currently no asylum seekers at the hotel and that asylum seekers are not being removed from The Bell Hotel in Epping. A Home Office spokesperson said: “Asylum seekers are not being removed from The Bell Hotel in Epping.”
It declined to comment on any previous or future plans to use the hotel to house asylum seekers. However, Tower Hamlets Council has confirmed that it was aware of a Government decision to use the hotel to house asylum seekers.
A spokesperson for Tower Hamlets Council said: “We are aware of the Government’s decision to use the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf to provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.
“It is important that the Government ensures that there is a full package of support for those staying at the hotel. We are working with the Home Office and partners to make sure that all necessary safety and safeguarding arrangements are in place.”
So, MyLondon can confirm that there are no asylum seekers in the Britannia hotel and that the asylum seekers being housed in the Bell Hotel, Epping, are not being removed. Whether the Britannia was going to be used or will be used in the future to house asylum seekers has not been confirmed by the Home Office – although the statement from Tower Hamlets indicates there was a plan at some stage.
Staff could also be seen unloading mattresses at the hotel, reports Metro. A mother-of-two who alleges she was made redundant told the outlet: “I don’t think it’s right that I and all the staff have been given redundancy letters. We are taxpayers and have done nothing wrong. Now we will struggle to make ends meet. We are gutted.”
Police remain at the scene outside of the Britannia Hotel this morning, which has now been cordoned off. A video on social media shows eggs being thrown from a window at the hotel. Protesters could also be heard shouting “Keir Starmer is a w*****” as they gathered outside the hotel.
Earlier this month The Bell hotel, in Epping, Essex, where asylum seekers are being housed, was targeted by protesters who threw projectiles, damaged police vehicles and attacked officers on Thursday night (July 17). The protest, which saw six people arrested, followed the charge of an asylum seeker on suspicion of alleged sexual assaults in the town.
How are asylum hotels selected?
Asylum hotels are selected based on private sector providers when other accommodation isn’t available. The Home Office has a “statutory” duty to provide accommodation for these people who would otherwise be destitute.
Initial accommodation options are currently at maximum capacity which means that the Government is increasingly turning to hotels to facilitate the growing number of people seeking asylum.
Housing asylum seekers in hotels costs the government millions every year, although the costs have reduced significantly from last year. Hotels cost the government £5.77 million per day, down from £8.3 million per day last year.
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