Colchester City Council Leader, Cllr David King, has written to the Home Office raising concerns over the unsuitability of a hotel in Colchester, which currently houses a large number of those seeking asylum.
In his letter, Cllr King says the ‘shameful lack of care is harmful to those seeking asylum and wider public health, and to the reputation of the Home Office and needs immediate action and remedy.’
The council has a legal duty to provide healthcare and safeguarding and is working with NHS colleagues and local charities around practical issues, like supplying mental health support, clothing and toiletries, as the group are only entitled to a small subsistence payment.
Cllr King, said: “I felt it was important to write to the Home Office to set out our concerns about the hotel, to highlight the lack of facilities, cleaning and access to local healthcare services.
“Our teams and partners are going above and beyond their roles to support the people housed in the hotel, as the conditions for them are so bad. It’s an extremely frustrating situation, as we continue to receive daily complaints about the hotel and facilities.
“As a local authority, we have a series of legal obligations, which we are obliged to fulfil, but we are also entitled to point out that housing those seeking asylum in hotels without the proper support arrangements is simply not good enough and needs immediate action from the Home Office.”
A copy of the letter can be found here.
Page last reviewed: 9 February 2023