A 24-year-old Sudanese asylum seeker has been found dead at the Crowne Plaza hotel near Heathrow Airport, which is used by the Home Office to accommodate asylum seekers. The man's body was discovered just before 1am on Sunday, 18 July, and Home Office sources have confirmed the location is being treated as a crime scene.
The man had been in the UK for four months after spending several months sleeping under a bridge in Calais. Fellow asylum seekers at the hotel staged a protest following his death, holding signs reading “refugee lives matter” and “he is neglected to death”.
Clare Moseley, founder of the charity Care4Calais, described the man as “cheerful and jokey under the most difficult circumstances”. She added: “Having survived unknown horrors in his home country and a gruelling journey to get here in search of safety we are devastated that his life was cut short here in the UK.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the man’s death is not being treated as suspicious and steps are being taken to inform his next of kin. A further demonstration has been organised outside the hotel on Monday at 2pm to raise concerns about the death.
A Home Office spokesperson expressed sadness and said the health and wellbeing of asylum seekers is a priority. They are working with organisations to provide support to those affected. Last year, 29 asylum seekers died in Home Office accommodation, five times the number who died crossing the Channel in small boats.
