MP asks for confirmation asylum hotels will go

An MP has again written to the Home Office querying the continued use of hotels in his constituency to house asylum seekers.

In his letter, Stuart Andrew, Conservative MP for Daventry, said his most recent letter on 21 September, "remains without answer".

The MP, who has been raising concerns with the department since 2024, added: "I was assured, as were my constituents, the use of the hotels would be a temporary arrangement. We are now approaching the two-year mark."

In response, the Home Office said it was "working to fairly house asylum seekers across the country, moving asylum seekers into alternative accommodation and will end the use of asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament."

According to Andrew's letter, which was published on social media, both hotels are situated in rural locations in his constituency, with very little nearby in terms of amenities or public transport.

He said he had been informed of an incident of anti-social behaviour near one of the hotels in September, and that a further incident on 19 October - which saw Northamptonshire Police "respond to reports of suspicious behaviour" - had also been raised with him.

Andrew said this incident had led to residents of the village saying "they no longer felt safe in their own homes".

Northamptonshire Police said they attended on 19 October to reports of a man acting suspiciously, but no offences were recorded and "words of advice were given".

The MP's letter ended by saying that while he was aware of the government commitment to end the use of asylum hotels by the end of this parliament, given this might be in 2029, it "inferences it may be another three years" for the use of the hotels to be stood down.

Andrew said: "We have long passed the point of where this could have been a temporary arrangement," adding that if a date could not be given for their use to end, "an explanation needs to be given as to why that is, and what the plan actually is for these two sites".

The Home Office's response also said: "The government is closing every asylum hotel, saving taxpayers over £1bn on asylum support since the election.

"As part of the process, we engage with local authorities and police forces to ensure the safety and security of those in the surrounding area."

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