Suella Braverman urged to clarify why refugees were left on London street
Suella Braverman has been asked to urgently clarify why a large group of asylum seekers were left on the street in Westminster for two nights running.
The leader of Westminster city council wrote to the home secretary to express his “deep concern” that about 40 refugees had been placed in the borough on Wednesday night “without appropriate accommodation or support available … and no prior communication with the local authority”.
The group then reportedly refused to enter a Pimlico hotel where the Home Office had asked them to sleep “four people per room”.
In his letter to Braverman on Thursday, Adam Hug wrote: “Neither the Home Office nor the hotel itself responded to this incident, ultimately leaving it to council officers to manage and support this large group overnight. I would ask that you urgently clarify how this was allowed to happen, why this was acceptable, and why no communication was made with the local authority to alert us.
“I note that the issue is still unresolved and, as of Thursday evening, all 40 asylum seekers remain on the street. This is not acceptable.
“It is not right, nor is it in the interest of these individuals – or our residents – to have them forced to endure a night on the streets because their transition into new accommodation has not been properly managed.
“When dealing with a group of people many of whom are likely to have been through significant and traumatic events that have led them to seek asylum, asking them to share an inappropriately sized room with multiple strangers defies common sense and basic decency.
“At every opportunity we have gone out of our way to engage constructively with the Home Office, welcoming asylum seekers into our city and doing all we can to support them appropriately.
“This has been met with minimal, or in this case no communication whatsoever, and in order for events like this to be avoided in the future, this has to change. We stand ready to support, and simply ask that you join us in that collaborative spirit.”
Around 20 people remained outside the Comfort Inn on Friday morning in protest at the cramped conditions inside, according to the council, with pictures showing suitcases and blankets strewn across the pavement.
Hug said the government’s demand created “safeguarding and health risks”, and that “leaving them on the street for multiple nights is not an alternative”.
Rough sleeping teams have been supporting the asylum seekers, according to the council, and on Friday afternoon they re-entered the hotel to speak to a Home Office representative.
A Metropolitan police spokesperson said officers were “engaging with those involved and remain at the location in order to prevent any breach of the peace”.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Despite the number of people arriving in the UK reaching record levels, we continue to provide accommodation – at a cost of £6m a day – for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute, to meet our legal obligation.
“The accommodation offered to asylum seekers by providers, on a no-choice basis, is of a decent standard and meets all legal and contractual requirements.”