It’s no secret that two local hotels have been used to house asylum seekers.
This attracted much public attention and was a result of the high volumes of people being trafficked across the channel by criminal gangs.
The Government has been working to deter these boat crossings, including with the Illegal Migration Act and the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill. These bills make it clear that if you enter the UK illegally you will not be eligible to stay here and may be sent to Rwanda.
It’s essential that we have a firm stance against those who would exploit the UK’s generosity and that we take away the incentive that has driven the small boat crossings. The Government has been made it clear that if you enter the UK illegally, you cannot expect to stay here. This is the fair thing to do, but also the right thing to do. It will save lives that could be lost in the English Channel.
Locally we saw two local hotels being used to house asylum seekers while they were being processed.
For some time I have been lobbying Ministers about this matter, sharing residents’ feedback and views. I made sure they were clear that many local people were opposed to the Holiday Inn and Roman Way Hotel being used as asylum seeker accommodation.
I am pleased to confirm that the Holiday Inn in Cannock is no longer being used to accommodate asylum seekers. This follows the news last year that the Roman Way Hotel had its contracted ended. The asylum seekers have been transferred to other sites in the asylum processing estate.
This is very welcome news as I know that many residents were unhappy with the situation locally.
I will continue to support the Prime Minister’s ongoing efforts to stop the boats. I hope that both of these important local hotels are brought back into our visitor economy as quickly as possible. Cannock Chase is a great place to visit and I know how important these hotels are to our visitor economy.
As always, if you require my help with anything at all, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone on 01543877142.
