Council leader criticises asylum seeker hotel plan

Three people have been arrested after protests outside the former Holiday Inn Express in Hoylake

A council leader has asked the Home Office to review its decision to house single male asylum seekers rather than families at a Merseyside hotel.

Labour-run Wirral Council's Paula Basnett said families living at the former Holiday Inn Express in Hoylake had been "welcomed" by the community.

Writing to Border Security and Asylum Minister Angela Eagle, Basnett complained that the government had decided without consultation to replace the families with single men.

The Home Office said the safety of local communities "will always be our first priority".

Wirral Council said the Home Office informed local authorities in June that it was conducting a national review of hotels used to house families.

This was to assess whether any could be repurposed for single male occupancy due to rising demand.

The local authority said the change affecting Hoylake had been confirmed on 15 July and was likely to take effect from the end of August following the families' relocation.

Paula Basnett said residents had a right to have their voices heard

A Wirral Council spokesperson said it was not known where the families would be relocated pending the results of their asylum claims.

This process is handled by contractor Serco on behalf of the Home Office.

In her letter to Eagle, Basnett said the families "had become part of the fabric of the town" and the decision to "uproot" them had been made without "meaningful consultation with the council, local MPs, or the residents who will be directly affected".

She said residents had expressed "clear opposition" to the change, citing "concerns over safety, community stability, and the displacement of families who have integrated successfully".

Protestors have gathered regularly outside the hotel in recent weeks, which Basnett described as "distressing".

Three people have been arrested in connection with the protests.

Basnett said the changes risked "undermining community cohesion and trust" and asked Eagle to reconsider the decision.

Her letter ended: "I have a duty to act on their behalf, and their overwhelming message is that this change is neither fair nor appropriate."

Other political parties in Wirral have also written to the Home Office to express their concerns.

However, the former co-leader of the Green Party on Wirral Council said the same hotel had been used to house single men during the Covid-19 pandemic without any issues.

Jo Bird said: "People seeking sanctuary should be welcome on the Wirral.

"The government should process their claims quickly and fairly, so they're allowed to work, pay rent and raise their families."

A Home Office spokesman said the government was reducing the use of hotels to house asylum seekers.

The spokesman added: "From over 400 asylum hotels open in summer 2023, costing almost £9 million a day, there are now less than 210, and we want them all closed by the end of this Parliament.

"We continue to work closely with police and community partners across the country, and discuss any concerns they have.

"The security of the local communities within which hotels are located will always be our first priority."