Mansfield MP welcomes plan to move asylum seekers out of hotels

Coun Ben Bradley, who is also leader of Nottinghamshire Council, says the changes are a “much more appropriate” way of safely accommodating the migrants.

A Mansfield hotel has been used to temporarily house 34 asylum seekers.

The Home Office and its contractor Serco had come under fire for the move but now Coun Bradley is optimistic things could soon change.

The new plans were revealed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the House of Commons in a move to change the current hotel arrangements.

He told MPs it was “unfair and appalling” that the Government is paying £5.6 million per day using hotels across the country.

Now, Coun Bradley says the changes are positive after heavily criticising the Home Office and Serco for using his town’s hotel.

He said: “Looking at sites where they are secure and away from residential communities is better.

“My frustration with the Mansfield hotel is it’s near the town centre and doesn’t make a lot of sense.

“The announcements were good and they’ve already started looking at more appropriate sites, but the proof is in the pudding and I’ll believe it when I see it.

“We want to see people moved out of hotels.”

He said Nottinghamshire Council has been working as part of a ‘partnership’ to support the asylum seekers in Mansfield.

“Across our general services, we have input into health services and general caregiving and deliver those services in Mansfield,” he said.

“I don’t think there’s any direct service, that we’ve created something or delivered something specifically at the hotel, but we do have a duty to ensure everything fits together and works in a partnership.”

The hotel, which has not been named due to Home Office guidance, was first used to house the migrants on November 12.

It is part of a nationwide scheme between the Government and contractors to bring down a backlog in asylum claims.

Controversy initially surrounded the use of the Mansfield hotel after it emerged three people who were using it as temporary accommodation later presented as homeless.

However, Mansfield Council confirmed assessments were made on all three homelessness claims and none met the criteria for homeless support.