The Home Office has announced it will end its contract with a hotel in Epping Forest, Essex, requiring asylum seekers to move to new accommodation. Single men have been housed at the Bell Hotel for several years under a temporary arrangement.
The government confirmed the contract will cease by the end of April. Dame Eleanor Laing, Conservative MP for Epping Forest, welcomed the decision and said she was reassured that residents' welfare would be managed during the move.
Minister for legal migration and the border, Tom Pursglove, stated in a letter that using hotels for asylum accommodation is a short-term measure that places pressure on local services and costs taxpayers. He said the Home Office is now able to exit hotel contracts and stop procuring new ones.
Alternative accommodation includes former military sites and the Bibby Stockholm barge, which Pursglove described as less costly and better for communities. Residents will receive at least five days' notice before relocation.
