Peterborough MPs and council leader urged to protest to Government over move to turn hotel into asylum seekers' refuge

A call has gone out to Peterborough’s two Labour MPs and its council leader to tackle Government over a decision to use an iconic city hotel as a refuge for asylum seekers.

The demand comes after it was revealed that 146 male asylum seekers are to be moved into the lakeside Dragonfly Hotel in Thorpe Meadows over the next three days.

Concerns have been voiced about the possible impact of the move on nearby householders, the Peterborough Rowing Club and the Nene Park Trust.

Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, leader of the council’s Conservative group, said: “The Labour leader of the council should write to the relevant government department to express disappointment and concern at the decision to place these people here again.and at great expense to the taxpayer.

"He should be seeking assurances that this will come to an end quickly.

“Both MPs should be lobbying Government to get these people moved to a more suitable location.

He added: “I have already had calls from people living nearby who are nervous and want to know how this has been allowed to happen.”

Councillors were informed about the Home Office decision to use the 70-bedroom Dragonfly Hotel yesterday in an email from Rob Hill, the council’s service director, housing and communities.

It states: “We have today (November 14) been informed by the Government that it has taken the decision to accommodate a number of asylum seekers at The Dragonfly Hotel in Thorpe Meadows, Peterborough.

“At present, we have been advised that there are 146 single male asylum seekers arriving over the next three days at this location.

Hel warns: "We believe that The Dragonfly is not the ideal location with the hotel sited in a residential area with limited access to services and amenities.

"Our resources are already stretched – we are already well above our Dispersed Accommodation quota and housing far more than our share of asylum seekers than other areas of the country.”

The hotel is understood to be in the Fletton and Woodston local authority ward, represented by three Labour councillors.

All three have been approached for a response to the use of the Dragonfly Hotel as a refuge for asylum seekers.

The hotel sits within the North West Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency.

North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling and Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes have been approached for a response.

Labour Cllr Dennis Jones, the leader of the city council, has also been asked for a response.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “This government inherited an asylum system under unprecedented strain, with thousands stuck in a backlog without their claims processed.

"“We have taken immediate action to restart asylum processing and are delivering a major uplift in returns to remove people with no right to be in the UK.

"Over the long term this will reduce our reliance on hotels and costs of accommodation.

“We remain absolutely committed to ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers and continue to identify a range of accommodation options to minimise their use.”

The announcement comes 10 months after the Home Office stopped using the Great Northern Hotel as a refuge for 80 asylum seekers that were moved in on November 11, 2022.

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