Coventry councillor ‘concerned’ by new asylum hotel

Coventry Conservative group leader Gary Ridley said he was “deeply concerned about the whole situation”, adding that the communication from the Home Office had been “appalling”.

“Nobody told me anything about it,” he said.

“There’s a feeling in both parties that as a city we’ve done more than anyone to provide support for asylum seekers.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “This government inherited an asylum system under unprecedented strain, with thousands stuck in a backlog without their claims processed.

“We have taken immediate action to restart asylum processing and are delivering a major uplift in returns to remove people with no right to be in the UK. Over the long term this will reduce our reliance on hotels and costs of accommodation.

“We remain absolutely committed to ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers and continue to identify a range of accommodation options to minimise their use.”

Coventry City Council and local MP Zarah Sultana have been contacted for comment.