Peterborough MPs vow to 'fight' to secure early end to use of Dragonfly Hotel as asylum seekers' refuge

Peterborough’s Labour MPs have today voiced their disappointment at a Government decision to use an iconic hotel as a refuge for asylum seekers.

North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling and Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes say they will fight to ensure the Dragonfly Hotel, in Thorpe Meadows, is stood down as a refuge as soon as possible.

They say the location near homes, the rowing lake and parkland, is not appropriate for a refuge for asylum seekers.

It was revealed yesterday (November 14) that the Home Office had told Peterborough City Council it intends to move 146 male asylum seekers into the 70-bedroom lakeside Dragonfly Hotel over the next three days.

In a joint statement, Mr Carling and Mr Pakes said: “This hotel is a wholly inappropriate place to be housing asylum seekers and as Peterborough’s MPs we are very disappointed to see the Dragonfly Hotel allocated for emergency accommodation.

"Peterborough is a welcoming, tolerant place but this is the wrong location for residents, for the city and for the migrants involved.

"We have already spoken to Ministers to express our strong opposition to the plans.

They add: “This government has inherited an unprecedented mess from the last government.

"The Conservatives stopped processing asylum claims leaving a massive backlog.

"It is Labour’s job to clean up the Tories’ mess.

And they vow: “We will keep fighting for clear information from the Home Office and to ensure the hotel is stood down as soon as possible.”

In a message to councillors, Rob Hill, service director, housing and communities for the council, states "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.

"In addition, 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.”

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 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."