News: Rotherham hotel continues to house asylum seekers
A hotel in Rotherham is to house more asylum seekers after signing a deal with The Home Office.
But local MP, John Healey says the Holiday Inn at Manvers is "utterly unsuited as accomodation for 130 asylum seekers" and has written to the home secretary voicing concerns.
Known as the Holiday Inn Express Rotherham – North, the 130-bed hotel was a key development within the £100m+ Waterfront development at Manvers. The £9m development opened in late 2009 as the Park Inn by Radisson.
It has been used for the last six months as a temporary home for asylum seekers fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Rotherham MP understands that the franchisee has been contracted by The Home Office who plan to move asylum seekers already in Rotherham from the Ibis Hotel at Bramley, with further arrivals from May.
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The Wentworth and Dearne MP said that no consultation had taken place and outlined that the hotel is miles away from many support services. He went on to say that the the Home Office’s use of hotels to accommodate refugees is "a direct result of serious problems in the asylum system, which is failing and unfair" with 9 out of 21 local authorities in Yorkshire and Humber unwilling to play a part.
In his letter, Healey said: "We are a town that has always been willing to welcome those fleeing persecution who are refugees in Britain, as we have done recently with support for the Afghan refugees airlifted out of Kabul [and] placed in this Manvers hotel over the last six months.
"Local people responded with donations of clothes and toys. Our Rotherham schools welcomed the children into classrooms and the next-door Aldi provided toys, food and sweets before the Home Office vouchers were eventually available.
"We have been pleased as the Afghan families have been able to move on to permanent accomodation in South Yorkshire and elsewhere and we were sorry to see the remaining Afghan guests moved last month to another hotel in Leeds. However, we looked forward to regaining the Holiday Inn as a hotel for paying guests and visitors. We want it back open and operating as a hotel."
Images: Google Maps
But local MP, John Healey says the Holiday Inn at Manvers is "utterly unsuited as accomodation for 130 asylum seekers" and has written to the home secretary voicing concerns.
Known as the Holiday Inn Express Rotherham – North, the 130-bed hotel was a key development within the £100m+ Waterfront development at Manvers. The £9m development opened in late 2009 as the Park Inn by Radisson.
It has been used for the last six months as a temporary home for asylum seekers fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Rotherham MP understands that the franchisee has been contracted by The Home Office who plan to move asylum seekers already in Rotherham from the Ibis Hotel at Bramley, with further arrivals from May.
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The Wentworth and Dearne MP said that no consultation had taken place and outlined that the hotel is miles away from many support services. He went on to say that the the Home Office’s use of hotels to accommodate refugees is "a direct result of serious problems in the asylum system, which is failing and unfair" with 9 out of 21 local authorities in Yorkshire and Humber unwilling to play a part.
In his letter, Healey said: "We are a town that has always been willing to welcome those fleeing persecution who are refugees in Britain, as we have done recently with support for the Afghan refugees airlifted out of Kabul [and] placed in this Manvers hotel over the last six months.
"Local people responded with donations of clothes and toys. Our Rotherham schools welcomed the children into classrooms and the next-door Aldi provided toys, food and sweets before the Home Office vouchers were eventually available.
"We have been pleased as the Afghan families have been able to move on to permanent accomodation in South Yorkshire and elsewhere and we were sorry to see the remaining Afghan guests moved last month to another hotel in Leeds. However, we looked forward to regaining the Holiday Inn as a hotel for paying guests and visitors. We want it back open and operating as a hotel."
Images: Google Maps
9 comments:
Yet we have our own,sleeping in shop doorways and people who can't afford electricity and gas on!Send em back where they came from ,you know that very unsafe country called France,charity begins at home!
Hotels are being used everywhere for this purpose which is totally unsuitable. Even the hotel at Doncaster Airport is closed to paying guests as it is full of migrants on contract with the Government. The bills must be astronomical and highlights the service is unprepared and unable to cope with the influx.
What an ignorant comment.
I think all the bleeding heart liberals should be allowed to open their doors to these refugees. Win win
Yes agree and let them pay for em too.!!!
Does anyone in the government realise how small and overcrowded this country is.
Overcrowded... Ha ha. Only about 10% of the land in England is developed. Now I'm not saying we should build on all the green space, but don't tell me we don't have space for people in need. Looking at the contents on this thread, the main thing we're lacking is compassion!
It's not ignorant, it is fact. The majority of these migrants are here without documents just proves they are not fleeing anything. They have come through many safe countries. They will be fed 3 times a day and all laundry, hospitals, dentists covered and no bills to pay. We are treated as second class citizens on our Country with no help whatsoever for working people who are paying for these hotels. Our Country is on its knees and paying over 6.5 million per day is not sustainable. What planet do you live on to think this is fair?
Why don't you put your money where your mouth is and keep them in your house. I pay my taxes and have done for 35 years and if I lost my job tomorrow I wouldn't get any help whatsoever. Why are these without documents getting treated like royalty in 3 to 4 star hotels with everything included? Our pensioners are definitely going to be left in the cold this winter with heat or food decisions to make. You must live in your own little world as you cannot see further than the end of your nose. The ones claiming asylum, coming over on a dinghy after destroying all their documents are the ones taking the place of real refugees from places like Ukraine.
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