Police have arrested a man after a stabbing at a migrant hotel near London. Officers were called to The Stanwell Hotel in the village of Stanwell, south of Heathrow Airport, at about 6.30pm on Saturday, August 15.
The arrested man, described by police as a Somali national aged in his 20s, was detained on suspicion of attempted murder. Police said detectives are not looking for anybody else and urged the public not to speculate.
Police statement and hotel background
In a statement issued just before 7.30pm, police said: "We understand that any significant emergency services presence is likely to cause concern locally and want to reassure you that we are dealing with this incident."
The hotel has reportedly been used to house asylum seekers since 2022, but there are plans to return it to its original use, the Daily Mail reports. If plans to add a single storey extension are approved by Spelthorne Borough Council, then the asylum seekers would be relocated, the Local Democracy Reporting Service states.
Government policy on asylum hotels
Ministers have pledged to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers amid pressure from the public and spiralling costs to taxpayers. The Government announced on Thursday that 13 hotels had seen asylum seekers removed and the venues returned to business as usual.
Eleven asylum hotels closed in April and a further 20 in June. There are now fewer than 160 which remain in use. The Home Office said this means tens of millions of pounds have been saved for taxpayers.
Alternative accommodation plans
With more asylum hotels set to close, the government is instead increasing the use of larger, basic accommodation including former military sites. In recent weeks, the Home Office announced discussions have begun to explore the use of three new former MOD sites to house asylum seekers.
Planning permission is currently being sought at MOD Bicester and MOD Barnham, while discussions are underway for MOD Linton-on-Ouse. Together, these new sites could eventually house around 3,750 asylum seekers.
