Home Office cancels hotel company's contract to house asylum seekers

A hotel company’s contract to provide accommodation for asylum seekers has been cancelled.

The Home Office said it would end its agreement with Stay Belvedere Hotels at the earliest opportunity, in September next year, after a review raised concerns about its performance and behaviour.

Stay Belvedere was awarded a contract in 2019 to house people waiting for asylum decisions, using 51 hotels across England and Wales.

It also houses asylum seekers in the Napier Barracks in Folkestone, Kent, which is due to be handed back to the Ministry of Defence in September.

In a statement, the Home Office said the safety and security of people staying and working in temporary accommodation was a government priority, as well as ensuring value for money.

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Border security minister Dame Angela Eagle added: “Since July, we have improved contract management and added more oversight of our suppliers of asylum accommodation.

“We have made the decision to remove Stay Belvedere Hotels from the Home Office supply chain and will not hesitate to take further action to ensure Home Office contracts deliver for the UK.”

The Home Office said it was working to “put robust plans in place” to minimise disruption. Labour had promised to stop using hotels to house asylum seekers in their election manifesto.

Last November, Dame Angela told parliament there were 220 hotels in use for asylum seekers.

It comes after it was reported that the government was considering sending failed asylum seekers, including those arriving on small boats, to overseas “migrant hubs”.