THERE are believed to be close to 600 Afghan refugees still living in hotels across Essex - including in Colchester.

Last week it was revealed Afghan refugees were being housed in the Marks Tey Hotel. 

MP Priti Patel, who represents Marks Tey, urged the Government to "deliver on the promises" made to people evacuated from Afghanistan since August 2021.

She said the Home Office had confirmed the hotel, in London Road, is providing bridging accommodation for Afghan refugees.

When approached by the Gazette, a spokesman for the hotel said: "We would like to advise that the hotel is temporarily being used for exclusive use and we are doing everything we can to help re-accommodate people impacted by the closure."

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in May of last year following the withdrawal of US soldiers from the Middle Eastern nation.

Hundreds of thousands of Afghans fled their homes, with many seeking refuge in the UK having worked alongside or helped British forces over the last two decades.

Yesterday, an Essex County Council (ECC) motion proposed by the Liberal Democrats called for the council to apply for Government funding to help move “more than 300 Afghan refugees” living in hotels across the county “some of whom have been there nearly a year, due to a lack of homes for them to rent”.

However, Chelmsford Lib Dem councillor Stephen Robinson claimed the number was closer to 600.

There are also known Afghan refugees living in Essex’s unitary authorities – which don’t count towards the County Hall total.

Labour councillor Aidan McGurren said: “It is shocking that we have over 300 Afghans still stuck in hotels across the county, some for almost a year now.

“It’s all the more shocking when we cast our mind back to the scenes of evacuation of refugees from Afghanistan.

“There were people who risked their lives and their families’ to opposed one of the most brutal regimes the world has ever seen.

“The repercussions for their bravery helping the west would have been to horrific to even contemplate.

“It hardly seems an appropriate reward for them to be stuck in temporary accommodation for so long.”

The motion further called for discussions with the Government to identify Government-owned land and property where Afghan families might be accommodated.

It was defeated by a Conservative ammendment which challeneged the language of the motion but agreed to work towards moving refugees on from hotels.