Wakefield Council to challenge plan for more asylum seekers

A city is to challenge government plans to use more hotels to house asylum seekers.

Wakefield Council said it had been informed by the Home Office that arrangements were being made to move more asylum seekers to the area.

Council leader Denise Jeffery said she had instructed officers to explore "all available options" to stop the move.

The Home Office said using "hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable" and was a "temporary solution".

A number of the district's hotels are already being used to accommodate asylum seekers.

Cllr Jeffery said public services in the Labour-run city were under strain as a result of the policy.

"We have a long history of supporting those seeking a safe haven and we can be proud of how compassionate our district is," she said.

"What isn't compassionate or sustainable is placing asylum seekers, who often have very complex needs, into the heart of our communities with no support.

"Our hotels, communities and over-stretched public services are already under intense pressure accommodating people placed here by the government."

The latest government figures show that almost 395 UK hotels are currently being used to house more than 51,000 asylum seekers, at a cost of more than £6m a day.

The council leader's concerns were echoed by the city's Labour MP Simon Lightwood.

Mr Lightwood said the local community had "no say" in the matter.

"This is a proposal forced on Wakefield by the government - putting even more strain on Wakefield Council, who have already faced £300m of funding cut from their budgets since 2010," he said.

"I'll be writing to the home secretary to protest these proposals."

A Home Office spokesperson said: "The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain.

"The use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable - there are currently more than 51,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the UK taxpayer £6 million a day.

"The use of hotels is a temporary solution, and we are working hard with local authorities to find appropriate accommodation."

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