An asylum seeker in a West Country hotel has compared it to living in a prison, saying he fled his country due to homophobic violence, but has still been facing abuse. The man, who is being kept anonymous for his protection, fled to the UK 'to be me'.
According to a report by the BBC, the man is from a country where same-sex relationships are illegal. Coming to the UK, he started seeking asylum in November but said that he and other residents of the hotel where they are staying, have been subjected to humiliating verbal abuse.
In February, an anti-asylum seeker protest took place outside the hotel in Cornwall. The man said 'kids were shouting F-words' and telling them to go back to where they came from. More protests took place on Sunday, March 26, which saw violence breaking out and two people arrested on suspicion of assault. A further two were issued with antisocial behaviour dispersal notices.
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The asylum seeker said: “I feel like it is one of the worst decisions I’ve made. I should have just stayed there instead of coming here and having to go through all this torture. We didn’t come to this country to be put away in some prison. They may say it’s not a prison, but for us, it is."
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He said the occupants of the hotel receive meals and lodging and a few pounds a week to live on, adding that all they are all men in the process of seeking asylum. He added the mental health of many of those is worsening.
He said: “I feel like I’m in a box and I’m just being pressed on. I’m fighting to come out but there’s no alternative.”
Devon & Cornwall Police said social media and disinformation was shaping attitudes towards those staying in the hotel. The Newquay Refugee Support Group said the Home Office needs to improve communication and provide 'certainty' on the asylum seekers situation.
The Home Office told the BBC that it did not comment on operational arrangements for hotels being used for asylum accommodation. A spokesperson did however say that they were working to reduce hotel use.
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