Some Leeds residents are "angry" over plans to house Afghan refugees in a hotel close to their homes - with fears it will devalue their "£1.5m" properties.
Asylum seekers will be temporarily homed at Mercure Hotel in Wetherby from January 9. It is understood approximately 170 refugees will be staying there with security in place around the clock to stop unwanted visitors entering.
The refugees will be able to enter and leave freely and to find work where possible. The Home Office's Afghan Citizenship Resettlement Scheme seeks to prioritise those who helped UK military efforts and vulnerable people.
Read more: Leeds teen's important message for all girls after she disarmed and photographed knife attacker
The residents have accused the organisers of being "underhanded" and "secretive" in the way the operation at Mercure Hotel in Leeds Road has been put together. They said they found out on Sunday night (November 27) about the plans after another resident sought out the information.
Michael Durkin, a father-of-three, said he would never have bought his "£1.5million" house in the newbuild estate in Ings Walk four years ago if he knew this could be on the horizon.
Michael, who works as paving contractor, said: “It’s just kind of got dropped on us, it makes me feel angry for the simple reason that they [the government] have done everything secretively and we might not want this next door to us.
“What annoys me is they bring these people over and they can get benefits and whatever else, yet our people are struggling. We weren’t even sent the information, it was one of the householders who was trying to find out the information.
"I’m not being snobby or anything but our houses are £1.5m houses and then we’ve got this, this is going to devalue our houses big time."
The Wetherby man says he has also heard reports that the asylum seekers will be provided free English lessons and mental health counselling.
He said: “They’re telling us some of them are ex-Nato but if that is the case, why do they need to be taught English? I think they’re bulls****ing us.
“My wife is a nurse in the community, so she knows that people are really struggling to get mental health care. Yet all the stops are being pulled to make sure these guys get everything. I’m not against them, it’s just the system, it’s a joke.”
'Underhanded'
David Bowen, 59, who lives on the same estate, has called the Home Office's actions "underhanded" since there had been no public consultation with the nearby residents.
David said: “I think it’s underhanded. I would have expected the residents to have been consulted. Let’s face it, they consult the residents about someone wanting to put temporary traffic lights in for a week. I would imagine this would be considerably higher up the scale.
“It smacks as underhanded because if they were intending to do what they’ve said, that they’re intending to ‘rehouse our troops’ then everybody probably would have signed up to that – 12 months, six months, whatever - but to do it in a way where there’s been no real public consultation, I would consider that to be underhanded and I cannot come up with a reason in my own mind why an authority would do something like that.”
He predicted there would be an "enormous division" over this "polarising" situation in the community and that a hotel wasn't "entirely sure" a hotel was a good environment for children.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The UK is proud to have already provided homes for nearly 7,400 Afghan evacuees under the Afghan Citizenship Resettlement Scheme.
“While hotels do not provide a long-term solution, they do offer safe, secure and clean accommodation as we continue to work closely with local authorities to bring down the number of people living there.
“We are providing local authorities with a package of funding to help families settle into their new life in the UK, which includes £20,520 per person over a three-year period.”
The Home Office refused to comment on the individual hotel arrangement.
Read next:
- Leeds woman 'terrified' to sleep, shower, or leave house as vandals repeatedly 'torture' her
- Man fighting for his life after horror Armley hit and run in Leeds
- Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani’s sighting at crucial World Cup game fuels transfer speculation
- Emergency blackout plan could launch tomorrow with Brits paid to turn off power
- Leeds boxer Nicola Adams and girlfriend Ella Baig forced to deny wedding rumours
