ASLYUM seekers living at a Langham hotel could face at least another three months of uncertainty after a “private company” booked every room at the venue until June.

Last November the Gazette revealed how the Holiday Inn Express, in Birchwood Road, was being used as a safe haven for about 100 Afghan male refugees.

At the time of the initial report trusted sources suggested some of the men, who had fled to the UK from their homelands, were suffering from mental health issues.

Since then concerns have been raised over the welfare of the refugees, the length of time they are having to stay at the rural hotel, and the quality of food on offer.

Gazette:

The Gazette now understands the hotel is likely to continue being used to house asylum seekers “until at least June” after a customer’s booking was cancelled.    

In an email sent from The Holiday Inn to the customer, who was due to stay overnight on April 23, bosses say his reservation was pulled after a company hired the hotel.

Leader of Colchester Council, David King, who has spoken out against the treatment of asylum seekers in the past, is not pleased with the latest development.

He said: “Those seeking asylum deserve decent places to stay and there is much about this Holiday Inn Express which makes it a decent place.

“But my concern is the absence of consistent medical care, a lack of support and the uncertainty everyone staying there has to live with because the process is broken.

Gazette:

“We accept we have to provide decent accommodation for asylum seekers and we will always do our best to help and support them.

“But my main concern is the whole asylum system and until the system is repaired we will have young men who are unable to work, unable to contribute and unable to live.”

Home Office bosses have now acknowledged using hotels to house asylum seekers is far from acceptable and stressed doing so should only be a temporary solution.

“The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain,” they added.

“We engage with authorities whenever sites are used for asylum accommodation and work to ensure arrangements are safe for hotel residents and local people.”