The Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council has written to the Government to ask for greater joint working and local compassionate solutions following the Government’s decision to close a local hotel housing asylum seeking women and families.
Councillor Bella Sankey has contacted Anna Turley, the Minister for Border Security and Asylum at the Home Office, to share local concerns around plans for dispersing residents from hotel accommodation and the growing uncertainty for those impacted.
With the government committed to ending the use of hotels – a policy supported by Brighton & Hove City Council – it was recently announced that a hotel in the city would no longer be used for asylum seekers.
That decision means that within a matter of weeks, those who have been living there – including some families who have been staying at the hotel for a significant period of time – will be moved elsewhere.
Councillor Sankey is asking the Home Office to provide reassurance that any dispersal plans will not unfairly disadvantage those affected.
She said: “I fully welcome the Government’s commitment to ending the use of hotels to house people seeking asylum; the use of hotels for extended periods of time is inhumane and not conducive to community cohesion.
“However, I am increasingly concerned about the impact that current arrangements are having on women and families living in Brighton & Hove, many of whom have spent considerable time in our city and have developed strong connections to local schools, health services, support organisations and community networks.
“A number of recurring concerns have also been raised with us both by residents and other local support organisations.
“There is a significant level of public concern about the impact of relocations on people who have become valued members of our communities and it is only right that as a council we press the Home Office for more information and stress the need for proper support to be arranged before any dispersals take place.”
Councillor Sankey has also asked the Home Office to consider whether an approach similar to the successful Ukraine community sponsorship model could be explored and adapted locally to help people seeking asylum remain close to established support networks while their claims are processed.
Councillor Sankey added: “Brighton & Hove has a long history of supporting people seeking sanctuary, and I am proud of the compassion shown by local residents, community organisations, faith groups and volunteers.
“We remain committed to working constructively with the Home Office and its partners to ensure that residents are treated with dignity, fairness and humanity throughout this process.”
