Today (29/03/2023) the Immigration Minister updated MPs on work to end the use of hotels, including the two in our bay, as accommodation for those who have claimed asylum in the UK.
Alongside work to increase asylum decision making and changes in the law to tackle the numbers crossing the channel, the Home Office will take forward the creation of four large accommodation sites. These will be in Essex, Lincolnshire, East Sussex and North Yorkshire. They are based on similar accommodation centres used elsewhere in Europe and will be used to house adult men, the group which represents the majority of those currently housed in hotels.
Local MP Kevin Foster welcomes this move, as it will not only help end the use of hotels in local communities, but reduce costs and assist with prompter decision making. Kevin therefore asked about what the timescales were for delivery and the planning process being used, as this plan would only be seen as a success when hotels begin to be closed by the Home Office.
