MP NADHIM Zahawi has called for a Stratford hotel to stop housing migrants.
Mr Zahawi has given his backing for the Grosvenor Hotel on the Warwick Road to go back to business as usual, following its use to house migrants who crossed the Channel to escape harm in their own country.
The government is currently reviewing which hotels need to be used as emergency accommodation following the numbers of migrants arriving by small boats on Britain’s coasts dropping by 20 per cent.
The immigration minister, Robert Jenrick announced the move to ‘exit’ 50 hotels from the scheme at the end of October.
Mr Zahawi has now put the Grosvenor Hotel forward for inclusion on the list.
The Stratford MP said: ‘While there was such high demand for hotel accommodation to deal with the migrant crisis, the Grosvenor Hotel was one of those brought in to help deal with the situation. There’s still a way to go, but thanks to the efforts of the government to stop small boat crossings in the channel, there isn’t such a need for so many rooms going forward.
‘I know ministers are currently considering which hotels need to be used going forward, and so I’ve asked the Home Office to remove the Grosvenor Hotel from the scheme. I hope this will be done as soon as possible, to allow the hotel and staff to open their doors to the public who want to visit the great town of Stratford and get back to business as usual in early 2024.’
It was revealed that The Grovenor Hotel was to house asylum seekers back in September last year.
Stratford District Council put an announcement up on its website that it had been informed by the Home Office that a hotel in the town would be used as part of the government’s dispersal policy for housing individuals seeking asylum in the UK.
SDC later confirmed the hotel to be used was The Grosvenor.
Single females, couples and families with children seeking asylum began to arrive later that month.
None of them had been legally recognised as refugees and were waiting to receive a decision on their asylum claim.
Warwickshire County Council and SDC pledged to work alongside the Home Office to provide all appropriate support to the asylum seekers.
The hotel has been closed to paying guests ever since.
A spokesperson for WCC said: “We are aware that the Home Office is seeking to reduce the use of hotel accommodation for asylum seekers. We welcome this move. Our concern however, remains that focus is retained on families and that sufficient and appropriate accommodation is provided.”
The Grosvenor Hotel has been approached for comment.
