WNC expects Government to use another unnamed hotel in or around Northampton to house asylum seekers

Conservative councillor David Smith, in charge of the resettlement schemes for asylum seekers at WNC, has revealed the latest update ahead of a full council meeting next Thursday (November 28),

Councillor Smith says the council is expecting a third hotel in West Northants to be used by the Home Office which, he says, is giving “very minimal notice” to the local authority.

The councillor said: “Two asylum contingency hotels have been stood up by the Home Office in recent weeks, and we are expecting a third in the next week. The Home Office is giving us very minimal notice, states that they have no choice, given the strain on the system. Weekly multi-agency meetings are already in place, so that partners can raise and address any emerging issues and concerns. The resettlement team is doing basic needs-assessments at the sites, to shape how charities and other organisations can assist.”

The councillor said his team will liaise with the affected parish councils to “try to allay any local community concerns and tensions”.

Last week, this newspaper revealed that the Holiday Inn, in Flore, has closed to members of the public for the foreseeable future. Hotels are never named by the authorities due to safety precautions.

Responding, 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 have taken immediate action to restart asylum processing and are delivering a major uplift in returns to remove people with no right to be in the UK. Over the long term this will reduce our reliance on hotels and costs of accommodation.

“We remain absolutely committed to ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers and continue to identify a range of accommodation options to minimise their use."

In terms of the specific Afghan refugee resettlement scheme, Councillor Smith’s said: “We are now supporting 32 households (111 individuals) living in and around Northampton. We have welcomed new families into the area who have been matched to accommodation sourced by Mears on behalf of MoD and continue to work with them.

“We still have a very small number of asylum seekers in dispersal accommodation in West Northamptonshire as the Home Office continue to roll out UK-wide dispersal.

"The Resettlement Team is making contact and providing signposting and low-level support and making sure people understand the system and what is required of them in order to move through the claim process. Once someone receives refugee status, the team is helping them with next steps, around Housing, Benefits, registering with a GP, opening a bank account, etc.”