Opinion: 'I repeat, Great Northern Hotel is not right for migrants' - writes Paul Bristow MP

It has been four months since the hotel was stood up as a hostel for migrants.

I welcome recent Government plans to move people out of hotels into more suitable accommodation.

Former student halls, surplus military sites, and existing asylum seeker accommodation are some of the locations the Government plan to use.

Using hotels is not fair on UK taxpayers who are currently paying around £5.5 million – every day.

I am determined to get this situation in Peterborough resolved as soon as possible.

In January I wrote to the Immigration Minister, Robert Jenrick MP, demanding a timeline on when the hotel will revert back to being a hotel.

Just this week in the House of Commons I raised this with the Minister again, asking him to guarantee that the next time he responds, there will be a time frame for standing down the Great Northern Hotel.

My consistency on this issue was confirmed in the Ministers response when he stated that the Great Northern Hotel is ‘ingrained in his mind’.

He assured me that he will write to me outlining his plans. I won’t stop until we see action.

It is vital that we give certainty to the police, support services, the council and - most importantly - the people of Peterborough on this.

‘Resources already stretched’

Peterborough currently accommodates more asylum seekers than any other town or city in the East of England. We have a strong track record of supporting newcomers but our resources are already stretched.

Settling 80 migrants, all single men, in the city centre is inevitably stretching these resources further. The location is all wrong. And it is wrong for the individuals themselves.

I know that this issue is important to the people of Peterborough. I have written about it before and the overwhelming majority agree with me. I have also received scores of emails about it.

We already play our part, Peterborough is a caring city, but our kindness shouldn’t be taken for granted. The long-term solution is to stop the boats. This is what we are going to do.

No one objects to supporting asylum seekers fleeing war. Or helping military advisors or interpreters who supported our troops in Afghanistan. But what is happening now is quite different.

People smuggling gangs – criminals – are cashing in on human misery and our generosity. They are literally risking lives in the busiest waterway in the world for profit. No matter what Labour MPs and left-wing lawyers say – this has to stop.

Many are predicting a new law will be proposed that would mean anyone who comes here illegally (i.e. on small boats) would not be able to stay. Together with the Rwanda plan, this will break the model of the people smugglers and remove the incentive for people to make these dangerous crossings.

Peterborough has been heard loud and clear on this matter. I will continue to make the case for the Great Northern to be stood down!