Government Gave Stevenage Bare Hours’ Notice Before Dropping Asylum Seekers Into Town Centre Hotel
The Home Office left Stevenage Borough Council scrambling after informing them only days before shuttling dozens of asylum seekers into a hotel right in the town centre. At a tense council meeting on Wednesday, December 7, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage revealed the government’s last-minute decision sparked serious concerns about safety, community cohesion, and stretched public services.
Baroness Taylor Blasts Home Office for Chaos
Baroness Taylor, the council leader, explained the Home Office only gave notice on Saturday, December 3. She said while the council accepts its duty to help those fleeing horrific conditions abroad, the rushed move left no time to put vital safety and health checks in place.
“Officers and I do not believe the use of hotels is acceptable, nor do members or, I’m sure, our community. This poses major challenges for public services, local residents, and those accommodated,” she said.
The baroness also described the continuing strain on education, health, and social care systems due to “contingency hotels” being used up and down the country. She warned this emergency policy threatens to undo decades of work building community spirit.
Hotel Used Without Local Knowledge
A total of 361 asylum seekers are currently housed by the council: 183 in a hotel near the A1 and another 178 in the newly revealed town centre site close to Westgate Shopping Centre. The Home Office promised to use the hotel only until December 16, but shockingly, they signed the hotel booking back in mid-November without informing any MPs, councillors, or officials.
Baroness Taylor slammed the government’s “complete chaotic failure” to plan properly for asylum accommodation, calling the use of hotels an “only option” due to years of neglect and mismanagement.
Asylum Numbers Soar Amid Crisis
The Home Office admits the asylum system is under “incredible strain” but refused to comment on the specifics of individual sites. Recent government data shows a surge in asylum applications, reaching 52,525 in the year ending September 2022—up sharply from previous years.
- Peak applications hit 84,132 in 2002.
- Lowest point was 17,916 in 2010.
- Applications rose again to 50,042 in 2021.
Baroness Taylor’s damning statements highlight the urgent need for the government to rethink its asylum strategy before more communities face the fallout of rushed, last-minute hotel moves.
