Here’s the latest on three hotels near Northampton housing hundreds of asylum seekers

The Chronicle and Echo is currently aware that three hotels are being used to house asylum seekers in Northamptonshire.

Those hotels are the Ibis near Crick, the Holiday Inn in Flore, and the MK Hotel in Deanshanger. It is not known if any others are being used.

In all three locations, there have been growing concerns within the community, particularly on local Facebook pages.

These concerns involve a variety of issues, but the main point is that using village hotels to house asylum seekers is unsuitable due to the lack of facilities in these areas.

This newspaper took these concerns to the Home Office.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “This government inherited an asylum system under unprecedented strain, with thousands stuck in a backlog without their claims processed.

“We remain absolutely committed to working with local stakeholders and ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers by continuing to identify a range of alternative accommodation options.”

West Northamptonshire Council had previously been tasked with overseeing the Afghan resettlement scheme, however the authority says it is not involved in the asylum contingency hotels, so could not provide comment about the issue.

The West Northants Labour Group also declined to comment on the issue.

Ibis Hotel in Crick

The Ibis became a temporary home to more than 160 asylum seekers in October 2022. They come from a variety of countries including Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Yemen, Syria and Iran and were welcomed to the village through a series of events. The inhabitants – all single men – were eventually rehoused and the hotel reopened for business until the back end of 2024 when it suddenly closed once again.

Crick Parish Council has now put together a list of frequently asked questions on its website to help inform the community. They say they ‘stand with the majority of Crick and is firmly against the use’.

A parish council spokesperson said: “As of December, the Ibis Hotel in Crick is being used to house asylum seekers. This is a repeat of what happened two years ago, and we understand that there are currently 125 residents at the hotel. The Home Office states that the use of the hotel will be short-term, but they do not have an exit date yet. The hotel is being managed by Serco, as it was last time.

“The parish council stands with the majority of Crick and is firmly against the use of the Ibis to house asylum seekers. The Parish Council believes that it is an inappropriate venue for this purpose, given its location. The decision to house the asylum seekers in this hotel was made by the Home Office and not by WNC or Crick Parish Council.

“We have made our views known to our local MP, Stuart Andrew. Stuart has acknowledged these views and shares our concerns and has made representations to the Home Office directly. The Parish Council has also written to the Home Office and the Prime Minister’s office expressing the same concerns. Additionally, we have contacted Serco to highlight recent incidents and requested a meeting to understand how they will manage the situation. Serco has not yet offered a meeting but has given assurances that asylum seekers are informed about acceptable behaviour and are made fully aware of the consequences of poor behaviour and how this can impact their asylum claim.

“The parish council has also been in touch with our PCSO team to express concerns about recent incidents.

“Our WNC councillor has also made representations to Northamptonshire Police about recent incidents and asked what is being done to protect the village. The Police Inspector has confirmed that additional staff have been brought in and that there are now increased patrols in the village and surrounding areas. An education programme for Ibis residents has been prepared by the police, explaining what is and what isn’t acceptable behaviour. Plans to deliver this to the residents are being brought forward.”

Stuart Andrew MP has been contacted for comment.

He previously told this newspaper that he has spoken directly to the Minister for Border Security and Asylum and expressed ‘serious concerns’ about the suitability of the location.

MK Hotel in Deanshanger

The hotel in Deanshanger has been housing asylum seekers for three years as part of a nationwide effort to accommodate thousands of migrants in temporary accommodation.

Complaints surfaced last moth (January) after reports of men “hanging around” near Deanshanger Primary School during drop-off and pick-up times.

It is alleged that the men in question are asylum seekers staying at the hotel.

A police spokesperson said: “We continue to liaise with the local community, including the parish council, school, and community groups, to offer reassurance and encourage anyone who has been a victim of crime to contact us and report it.”

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman previously said: “We are aware of the concerns reported by people regarding alleged suspicious activity in Deanshanger last month and having followed all lines of enquiry for every report, we can confirm that we did not identify any offences, increased risk or safeguarding issues.

“No one has been identified to or by the Force as having committed any offences and no evidence of any crime has been found.”

Councillor Ian McCord, who represents the area, said: “It is now time to end the use of the hotel for housing asylum seekers. Its location makes it unsuitable. The residents of the hotel should be in a place where they have access to support that does not exist in a village. The village residents need to be able to know their community is safe. We must exercise an abundance of caution and end the use of this hotel for migrants awaiting processing.”

It is believed there are around 70 asylum seekers at the hotel.

Holiday Inn at Flore

It is understood that asylum seekers moved into this hotel in November 2024. The hotel was previously used by the Conservative Government for the same purposes in 2022 – 2023.

In November, Stuart Andrew MP wrote on his website that the situation was ‘entirely unacceptable’.

He wrote: “It is entirely unacceptable that there has been no prior communication or consultation, and it is disappointing that the Government has not given the opportunity for any concerns that the local community may have.

“I have asked that the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, provide regular updates and communication on this matter moving forward and keep my constituents informed.”

Flore Parish Council has been contacted for comment.

What classes an asylum seeker?

According to the Government, an asylum seeker is an individual who has fled their home country due to fear of persecution and has applied for protection in another country, awaiting a decision on their refugee status. In the UK, asylum seekers can apply for asylum to stay as a refugee, and while their application is under consideration, they may be eligible for support and accommodation if they meet certain criteria.

According to the Refugee Council…

The Refugee Council is a leading charity working with refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK.

According to their website:

• The Home Office can take months or even years to make a decision on asylum case, and there is a growing backlog of cases. At the end of June 2022, there were over 117,000 people awaiting an initial decision on their asylum case.

• 75% of initial decisions made in 2022 resulted in a grant of asylum or other form of protection

• There is no such thing as an "illegal" or "bogus" person seeking asylum. Under international law, anyone has the right to apply for asylum in any country that has signed the 1951 Convention and to remain there until the authorities have assessed their claim.

• The UK is home to approx. 1% of the 27.1 million refugees who were forcibly displaced across the world.

• 72% of the world’s refugees are living in countries neighbouring their country of origin, often in developing countries.