Asylum Seekers: Hotels

Lord Bishop of Sheffield Excerpts

Monday 20th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[The Lord Bishop of Sheffield]

My Lords, I declare an interest as the patron of the charity ASSIST Sheffield. In the interests of time, I will limit my remarks to three key points.

First, there is the question of safety. One of the communities I serve as the Bishop of Sheffield is Rotherham. Noble Lords may recall how, in August last year, a group of asylum seekers living at the Holiday Inn in Manvers were deliberately targeted, in an incident that led to criminal convictions for over 60 men. The following month, at the request of the Mayor of South Yorkshire, I arranged for one of the churches in Sheffield, Christ Church Fulwood, to offer sanctuary for the day, free of charge, to a group of asylum seekers because there were fears that their hotel could be subject to a similar attack. Quite simply, it subjects asylum seekers to danger if they are placed in hotels in visible numbers. Dispersed accommodation offers greater protection and, for that reason, we should move to that provision as swiftly as possible.

Secondly, hotel accommodation by and large inhibits rather than promotes the integration of asylum seekers into local communities, and it increases rather than decreases their sense of isolation and precariousness. I am grateful to the Minister for acknowledging the need to transition from hotels to dispersed accommodation, and for affirming the observation of the noble Lord, Lord Young of Cookham, last week that asylum seekers are not currently well integrated into local services—but the two are connected. Noble Lords will be aware that, in 2024, nearly 7,500 unaccompanied children seeking asylum were in the care of local authorities across the UK. May I press the Minister and ask what actions he is taking to engage in mutually constructive discussions and consultations with local authorities to provide asylum seekers with sorely needed access to support services and continuity of place, not least to ensure the welfare of unaccompanied children?

My third and final reflection is that it is worth emphasising that the substantial costs associated with the use of hotel accommodation reflect the backlogs and delays resulting from a dysfunctional asylum system. In other words, the asylum seekers themselves are not to blame for the strain on the public purse. In any case, each is an individual created in the image and likeness of God, to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect—especially in view of their very real vulnerability. Frankly, it would be not only a better use of public funds but a better expression of care to seek to move as quickly as possible from hotel accommodation to dispersed accommodation. I urge the Minister to urge the Government to accelerate that process.