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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

How are we paying to house asylum seekers

212 replies

Asylumhotels · 13/01/2023 19:50

I saw on the news that the UK is spending several million pounds every day to house asylum seekers in hotels. How are we affording this? Surely we can't carry this on, are there any alternatives?

Sorry if this is incorrect, I only know what I've seen on the news so any further info is welcome

OP posts:
Kitcaterpillar · 13/01/2023 21:31

strawberriesarenot · 13/01/2023 21:00

Can't understand how basic documents are still paper. Why can't they be digital? They wouldn't be so easily lost or destroyed then.

Have you travelled much outside of Europe?

watchfulwishes · 13/01/2023 21:31

Asylumhotels · 13/01/2023 20:27

Sorry, so are those in the hotels refugees?

Where have you been for the 10 years?
www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/28/migrants-refugees-and-asylum-seekers-whats-the-difference

LlynTegid · 13/01/2023 21:31

Process claims quickly, and I think there should be some work that asylum seekers can do during what should be a short time.

Perhaps the best civil servants and organisers avoid working for the Home Office, especially when the Prime Minister refuses to accept that a Home Secretary has been a bully.

MargaretThursday · 13/01/2023 21:35

If you saw what our local ones are housed in and fed then I wouldn't get jealous. Yes it's officially an hotel, but if you were getting the treatment/food at a hotel then you'd complain.
They've not even got any cooking facilities so they can't cook any alternatives. I've never seen anyone so happy to be given a loaf of basics bread as the group there.

watchfulwishes · 13/01/2023 21:37

strawberriesarenot · 13/01/2023 21:00

Can't understand how basic documents are still paper. Why can't they be digital? They wouldn't be so easily lost or destroyed then.

Sorry - you 'can't understand' why documents are paper? cheaper, easier, more reliable.

JoonT · 13/01/2023 22:03

Well, I guess you and me are paying. There is an expensive hotel near me that has been taken over by asylum seekers. I often see young African and Middle Eastern guys hanging around outside during the day (all men btw - no women or children or old people, who have presumably been left to face the “war and persecution” they are all fleeing). The hotel is lovely, and pretty damn expensive. I doubt the owners put them up for free. Meanwhile, the roads near me are full of potholes and patients are sleeping in the corridors of my local hospital.

Squirespot · 13/01/2023 22:06

LetsDoThis2023 · 13/01/2023 21:27

Either grant them asylum or don't.

And in the meantime?

Squirespot · 13/01/2023 22:07

JoonT · 13/01/2023 22:03

Well, I guess you and me are paying. There is an expensive hotel near me that has been taken over by asylum seekers. I often see young African and Middle Eastern guys hanging around outside during the day (all men btw - no women or children or old people, who have presumably been left to face the “war and persecution” they are all fleeing). The hotel is lovely, and pretty damn expensive. I doubt the owners put them up for free. Meanwhile, the roads near me are full of potholes and patients are sleeping in the corridors of my local hospital.

I'm also paying for all the uk benefit fraudsters and tax evaders...... pisses me right off!

JoonT · 13/01/2023 22:19

This reply has been deleted

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titchy · 13/01/2023 22:22

JoonT · 13/01/2023 22:03

Well, I guess you and me are paying. There is an expensive hotel near me that has been taken over by asylum seekers. I often see young African and Middle Eastern guys hanging around outside during the day (all men btw - no women or children or old people, who have presumably been left to face the “war and persecution” they are all fleeing). The hotel is lovely, and pretty damn expensive. I doubt the owners put them up for free. Meanwhile, the roads near me are full of potholes and patients are sleeping in the corridors of my local hospital.

You're right of course - it's well known how safe women and children are when they're smuggled into lorries, trains and inflatables. All those making money off them are very kind indeed and always ensure they are treated kindly.

Meanwhile back in the real world they're beaten and raped so they send the men ahead.

BewareTheLibrarians · 13/01/2023 22:23

JoonT · 13/01/2023 22:03

Well, I guess you and me are paying. There is an expensive hotel near me that has been taken over by asylum seekers. I often see young African and Middle Eastern guys hanging around outside during the day (all men btw - no women or children or old people, who have presumably been left to face the “war and persecution” they are all fleeing). The hotel is lovely, and pretty damn expensive. I doubt the owners put them up for free. Meanwhile, the roads near me are full of potholes and patients are sleeping in the corridors of my local hospital.

@JoonT You’ve posted on three separate threads now about how the hotels are full of men and why no women and children, and I’ve replied directly to you twice now explaining that:

  1. men are housed in different hotels to women and children so you won’t see women and children in the same hotel as men

  2. the journey by boat and beforehand is incredibly dangerous for women and children (risks of rape, kidnapping and trafficking by criminal gangs in the countries they pass through).

So what’s the truth @JoonT ? Do you post on threads and never come back, remaining forever ignorant?

Or do you just enjoy peddling divisive bollocks?

RudsyFarmer · 13/01/2023 22:24

ghostyslovesheets · 13/01/2023 20:03

Process claims quicker and more efficiently or make it possible for people to claim from outside the UK

They have to sort out the huge backlog. I suspect at some point there will be a reform to the European courts being able to over rule UK law and the Bill of Rights will come into force. This will obviously take years to push through and by then Labour will be in government and will make another huge change and so it will go on., never resolved.

Itisbetter · 13/01/2023 22:32

Just to address the beard thing. Middle Eastern boys can have full beards hairy chests and are considerably more muscular than their uk contemporaries in early teens. I would imagine if they’ve walked across Europe and survived they are aged by their experience.

JammiDodgers · 13/01/2023 22:35

ShakespearesBlister · 13/01/2023 20:37

Some people don't tell the truth about where they are from. Some people don't tell the truth about why they need asylum. Some people destroy their documents to prevent the authorities from identifying them and finding out their identity. It can take years to pick the pieces apart and find out who people really are, where they are really from and if they have any right to asylum. Some people will go to extreme lengths to frustrate that process. Hence why we occasionally have 30 year old men with beards in schools mixing with children and claiming to be 15.

Sadly this is very true. Happens a lot where my sister works. Grown men with beards and hairy hands claiming to be 14 years old.

woodhill · 13/01/2023 22:36

BotterMon · 13/01/2023 21:20

They go out to tender to house them. None of the below will come cheap and I wonder how many are actually 16-17 years old?

Additional Reception Accommodation for newly arrived UASC
Categories

The Council’s Services for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (SUASC) has a statutory responsibility for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) under the Children Act 1989 and seeks to develop additional reception accommodation for newly arrived UASC, to provide humanitarian accommodation, assess their needs, including age, and prepare those assessed as under 18 for living in the community. Having identified facilities makes the risk assessment more robust and supports the Governments Prevent agenda.
Service Requirements
The services required to fulfil the offer of a Reception Centre is made up of:
• Accommodation for UASC males; must be single bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms with some shared facilities i.e., kitchen and dining facilities and shared lounges.
• Accommodation for staff such as offices, meeting rooms and communal areas to deliver the independence skills required, various assessments and administrative functions.
• Housing support from the landlord including furniture, safety equipment such as CCTV and concierge services.
• Support staff/Social Worker support.
Ideally, the Reception Centre must be able to flex to an increasing need, potentially by having bedrooms and communal space of a size to fit more than one single male in one room.
Physical Accommodation Requirements
• A single building or grouped buildings on the same site of between 80-120 units. We will NOT be interested in small properties dispersed across the county.
• The building/grouped buildings must have the correct planning permission in place to be able to deliver this service to this specific cohort.
• A location in the East or South of the County.
• Set in a discrete location to have minimal impact on the local community.
• Catering facility able to accommodate the number of occupants.
• Only male aged 16-17 occupancy.
• Minimum capacity of 80 placements, ideally up to 120.
• Communal areas are available for socialising, lessons, and briefings.
• Low maintenance costs.
• Easy to repair given propensity for damage.
• Space for office accommodation for the SUASC Operational Team (22 staff).
The Council would like to hear from organisations, which may be interested in tendering for this opportunity, to discuss ideas on how this could be most effectively and efficiently delivered and to provide greater insight into the market.

Why can't they share bathrooms like everyone else

Whole thing is a farce

Msstakes · 13/01/2023 22:37

Bloopsie · 13/01/2023 20:16

Some journalist posted on Twitter they get 175 pw personal allowance?

What a liar

Squirespot · 13/01/2023 22:38

This reply has been deleted

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Shame I missed this comment!

Msstakes · 13/01/2023 22:40

JammiDodgers · 13/01/2023 22:35

Sadly this is very true. Happens a lot where my sister works. Grown men with beards and hairy hands claiming to be 14 years old.

Tbh honest my kids friends, alot of whom are Asian have full blown beards and hairy hands by 15. I've know loads of them since they were 3 so definitely not pretending! Unlike my kids scraggly "moustaches" 😁

Sorefootouch · 13/01/2023 22:41

JoonT · 13/01/2023 22:03

Well, I guess you and me are paying. There is an expensive hotel near me that has been taken over by asylum seekers. I often see young African and Middle Eastern guys hanging around outside during the day (all men btw - no women or children or old people, who have presumably been left to face the “war and persecution” they are all fleeing). The hotel is lovely, and pretty damn expensive. I doubt the owners put them up for free. Meanwhile, the roads near me are full of potholes and patients are sleeping in the corridors of my local hospital.

Did you take the opportunity to go up to them and ask them about their lives and their journey? Have you ever spoken to them? Because I used to work with them. Guess what? I had a bit of your attitude before I worked there.

These asylum seekers are people, they are just people like you are I. They grow up in loving families, with mums and dads. Then war strikes and if they are lucky the family manages to escape safely together. A lot of the time some of their loving family are killed, often in front of their family. They have hopes and aspirations in their home country - university, be a doctor, be an engineer etc just like UK kids - and they have to leave that all behind and run for their lives. They’re just people. If they bring their hopes and aspirations and keen ness to get on to our country, we should be grateful, not look on them like scum as some of the posters here seem to.

One of the interesting things I found about all of the people from all over the world I met, was that they all told their kids stories to get them to sleep at night. They are people just like you and I.

PriamFarrl · 13/01/2023 22:42

strawberriesarenot · 13/01/2023 21:00

Can't understand how basic documents are still paper. Why can't they be digital? They wouldn't be so easily lost or destroyed then.

Because they would in completely under the control of the government.

RobertaFirmino · 13/01/2023 22:46

I can't decide whether I'm grateful for living in the UK, free from war and persecution or ashamed to be from a country full of uncharitable, unsympathetic arseholes like the ones on this thread.

BewareTheLibrarians · 13/01/2023 22:47

@JammiDodgers Really? Happens “a lot”? Hmm, I work with UASC as part of my job and this is not something we see “a lot”. It is, however, something that the far right like to stir up and pretend is a massive issue. This thread gives a balanced take on the issue. The whole thread is worth a read for people who genuinely want to see the reality of the situation, not regurgitated tropes.

“I’ve done dozens of age assessments, and I found the person to be an adult in a tiny minority of cases. The media and politicians would have you believe those people are a danger who are trying to game the system or worse, gain unfettered access to children.”
mobile.twitter.com/LaurenHStarkey/status/1476131769774653443?s=20&t=seblOiL7SBAmSA7s98_lkQ

And the damage of the reverse situation - where minors are treated as adults - can have serious ramifications, with some asylum seeking children and young people put into unsafe living situations, shut out of education and in some cases committing suicide due to the lack of support here.
gal-dem.com/alexander-tekle-unaccompanied-asylum-seeker-investigation/

BewareTheLibrarians · 13/01/2023 23:03

@woodhill and @BotterMon genuinely depressed to see you both wishing worse/more unsafe living conditions on teenagers living apart from their families. I don’t understand it. Let’s say if 1 in 100 is lying about their age, you’re happy to condemn the other 99 to worse conditions? If 1 in 50 is lying about their age it’s ok for 49 to be housed unsafely? Where’s your cut off? What is the obsession with not seeing young brown men as human?

EmilyGilmoresSass · 13/01/2023 23:05

They live well in my area. British homeless people lining the streets near me, but the asylum seekers sipping coffee outside hotels with brand new bikes, clothes and always in asda buying tobacco and alcohol. Just saying.

ghostyslovesheets · 13/01/2023 23:06

@woodhill Why can't they share bathrooms like everyone else

Because the information posted - that you quoted - has NOTHING to do with hotels - it's guidelines for CHILDREN'S HOMES housing unaccompanied children in local authority care