We’re concerned that the Home Office’s use of hotels to house people seeking asylum is causing anxiety and stress in local areas. Last weekend we saw this anxiety inflamed and exploited by far-right agitators, intent on stirring up division and racism.
We’re disgusted to see this and are worried about the wellbeing of the individuals in the hotel and other hotels where similar demonstrations have taken place. We were heartened to hear the local community in Erskine distance themselves from the far-right demonstrators. But, concerns in this community remain.
We have long called for an end to the Home Office’s use of hotel rooms as accommodation for people seeking asylum. Hotels are not appropriate places for people who have recently arrived here seeking refugee protection. We know from experience that housing people in hotel rooms can be extremely isolating, preventing people from becoming involved in the local community, getting to know those around them and taking steps to rebuild their lives in peace and safety.
The Home Office is responsible for providing housing for people seeking asylum. In recent years they have used hotels and other institutional, inappropriate accommodation more and more frequently, prioritising private interests and profits over the needs of local communities and the people affected.
Those living in these hotels are most often experiencing extreme poverty, living on as a little as £1.30 a day, and are denied the right to work to support themselves. They face violence and persecution if they were to return to their home countries.
We call on the Home Office, their subcontractor Mears, the Scottish government and local councils to work together to support communities in welcoming people in need of protection, and to make sure that communities are consulted and have an input on future plans.
We hope that people can come together and are given whatever resources are necessary to understand one another.
We have reached out to local organisations to see how we can help.
FACT CHECK: THE FIGURES
Where are people seeking asylum housed in hotels originally from?
The five countries most people have fled from are Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea and Sudan.
What are people in hotel accommodation entitled to?
People seeking asylum are not eligible for universal credit and must survive on as little as £1.30 a day.
How long is the typical length of stay in this temporary accommodation?
Seven months; the duration is linked to lengthy waits for asylum decisions from the Home Office.
Why are hotels being used more often?
The Home Office is spending huge sums of money on contracts with private hotel companies. None of this money goes back into the local communities.
CALLING FOR CHANGE
As Scotland’s national refugee charity, we never stop campaigning for a fairer and more humane approach to asylum and a better deal for people seeking safety.
Following news that 200 children have gone missing from hotels, we’ve joined over 100 charities calling for the Prime Minister to stop placing vulnerable children seeking protection in hotels. Read more.
