Local News

Dr Luke Evans -Refugees in ‘unsafe’ hotel

Dr Luke Evans, Conservative MP for Bosworth has criticised the Home Office for putting asylum seekers in an “unsafe” hotel.

A Leicestershire MP , said he was first made aware of the issue when constituents reported activity in the Earl Shilton property.

The building had earlier been rated as unsuitable due to health and safety concerns, especially fire.

Dr Evans told the House of Commons: “I have a hotel in Earl Shilton that has twice been identified to try and deal with the backlog but failed due to health and safety concerns, particularly around fire.

“I was surprised when my constituents had wrote to me saying they had seen asylum seekers in this hotel.”

Dr Evans said he contacted local councils and the police, “none of which knew anything about it”, but social media corroborated the story.

He added: “I contacted the Home Office and it took 72 hours for it to be confirmed that they had been placed there.

“This is completely unacceptable.”

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “We have a statutory duty to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation.

“We do inform local partners of our actions but due to the incredible pressure on the system recently, despite our ambitions to do that expeditiously sometimes, yes, we have fallen short.”

Mick Walker, from refugee charity Leicester City of Sanctuary, said there were about 1,200 asylum seekers in the city, with 200 of these in hotels.

“The asylum system in this country is not fit for purpose and it hasn’t been fit for purpose for a very, very long time,” he said.

source bbc news

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