UK asylum seekers told they have to leave hotel

In November we reported that up to 75,000 asylum seekers could be left homeless as the UK government tried to clear its asylum application backlog. Last Thursday 400 asylum seekers in Walthamstow, north-east London, were told they must vacate the hotel they had been housed in by today. Some of the residents have lived there since 2022. Their next destination? Unknown. Some have been offered accommodation as far away as Somerset. The letter notifying residents was sent by Clearsprings Ready Homes, the government’s asylum seeker housing contractor. It read: “We will aim to give you five days’ notice of your move, although on occasion this may be less.” Dozens attended a protest yesterday outside the hotel calling for a reversal of the decision. “These people are not just numbers, they are deeply rooted members of our community who are connected to faith institutions, schools and community groups,” said Vanessa Conant, team rector of St Mary’s Walthamstow.