Plans to house more than 200 asylum seekers at a Salford hotel have been slammed, with city bosses criticising the Government for a lack of communication.
The controversial decision, announced this week, will see 238 refugees moved to a local hotel, the location of which is being kept under wraps by the Home Office for ‘public safety reasons’.
Salford Mayor, Paul Dennett, has spoken out against the plans, claiming that local authorities in the South of England need to do more to lessen the burden on their Northern counterparts.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said: “Salford is happy to take its fair share of asylum seekers – but why, when this city already houses more than four times the national average, are we being put to the front of the queue when wealthier areas in the south of England are not taking any of the pressure themselves?
He described the most recent announcement as a ‘shock’, raising fears about the lack of communication from the Home Office.
“My understanding is that the site visit by SERCO carried out on Wednesday was conducted without consultation,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. “Only four staff on site will be responsible for managing this large number of people.”
Conservative councillor Adam Kealey added: “We are really concerned with the plans to use this hotel into an exclusive hotel for asylum seekers.”
Residents within the area of the hotel have also contacted the councillor with concerns about the plans and are asking that they’re withdrawn.
In a council meeting last year, Mr Dennett said local authorities had been left to deal with outbreaks of TB and Covid-19 in hotels used to house large numbers of the asylum seekers and refugees.
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