How are we paying to house asylum seekers

[Asylumhotels]

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

I share your feelings.

Some comes from the overseas budget. Considering we give China money for 'development' this is a good use of it

you are comparing cornflakes with deckchairs - British homeless people can claim benefits, apply for housing and work - the reasons why they are homeless are many and complex (additions/trauma/lack of mental health support/lack of post prison support) and nothing to do with people who have no choice being housed in basic conditions.

By all means campaign for better support for people who are homeless but please do NOT think they are homeless because people fleeing war are in their spaces

DD did work for very large medical surgery in SE England up until a day ago...with 3 very well known hotel chains in the town each housing 600 immigrants that the surgery had to register...on-top of their 17000 patients.

All 3 hotels have been trashed beyond recognition...wallpaper ripped off, pictures broken, dining room trashed, rooms furniture trashed, fire hazards with cooking on disposable bbqs in rooms and outside in car park, plumbing blocked...the list goes on.
Sympathy wears thin.

@EmilyGilmoresSass If you would like to share a room with a stranger for months, possibly years, have no choice about the food you eat even if it doesn’t meet your dietary requirements, have limited access to legal and medical care and live on £8 a week while being banned from working (and handle people bitching about you daring to drink a coffee outside) then go for it!

The bikes are often donated through a scheme to help asylum seekers get to appointments/keep themselves fit, and clothes are donated. I see a lot of nice, sometimes designer clothes because richer people tend to donate more often.

@peachescariad 18,000 asylum seekers in 3 hotels?

Sorry, 1,800 I have no control over my fingers at this time of night!

nope.
as well as.

I can tell you now they are not living off £8 a week where I am. They have a healthier lifestyle than I do. In and out of coffee shops, in asda buying trolleys full of alcohol and the men chatting up the local women. I am sorry, but I will happily buy the poor homeless people lining the street near my university a food or coffee, despite living on a very, very low income myself. I'm not saying they ALL live like that, but near me they do.

@ghostyslovesheets loving your work. Thankyou for posting facts and common sense.

How can you be sure who “they” are, @EmilyGilmoresSass? Do you ask to hear stories or simply intuit this knowledge, of their history, status and income?

@EmilyGilmoresSass The government regulations state that asylum seekers based in hotels receive £8 a week. They don’t have access to any kind of benefit apart from that £8 a week. So either they’re independently wealthy, or they’re not asylum seekers.

@peachescariad can you think of reasons why destructive behaviours may come out of people who’ve fled rape, torture, death and everything they’ve ever known and undergone a dangerous and physically taxing journey only to be slung into limbo for years on end? Look how badly lots of British people behave after being born into relative wealth and privilege, with access to safe housing, world class education and financial support.

I think I read this on the news recently

Uk has decreased over seas aid recently by a small percentage, because it is spending so much on asylum seekers that are already in the UK

The UK has a historic reputation for being hospitable to refugees, asylum seekers, people fleeing war etc

Shouldn't we be proud that we are helping ?

You see the stats about how many asylum seekers arrive in other countries like Germany & France etc

Here is where some of it comes from OP.

www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/oct/29/billions-in-foreign-aid-never-leaves-britain-under-sunak-rules-analysis

The government isn't paying £100 a night, they will have negotiated a price for the entire place.

People have to live somewhere, and when it is single people it makes more sense to put them in a hotel than a flat that a family could move in to.

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

I am another poster who has worked (volunteering) with asylum seekers and the men I worked with (motel accommodation) got £8 a week.

You are a delight? Maybe quite a few people on here should spend some time with Asylum Seekers and refugees. First of all find out the difference, learn the facts before spouting off and then get to know first hand the horrors they have faced.
What we would really be complaining about is thd money being made firm it. G4S for example (several MPs/ex MPs have fingers in that pie), make s fortune from housing AS in terrible sun standard accommodation.

In my city they are being housed in an Ibis & a Holiday Inn, the Ibis is never less than £80 per night & the Holiday Inn will be even more, why don't they take somewhere like Pontins & house them all on site?

Great work of fiction here.

Read the rules on the government website. £8/week.

You are talking out of your arse.

Maybe you missed the memo about Britain being a free country (mostly, still) but the government is not going to seize Pontins against the wishes of the company.

🙄And how many of those are there, really?

Trolleys full of alcohol AND they live a healthier lifestyle than you do??

refugees aren’t asylum seekers so your question is confused

refugees have successfully claimed asylum

also obviously the government isn’t paying the same rates for the B and B that you paid - they bulk buy