People concerned about a Mansfield hotel being used to house asylum seekers must stay on the “right side of the line”, the town’s MP has said. Around a dozen people gathered outside the Midland Hotel in the town on Saturday (February 4) to protest against its use as accommodation for migrants.
A video circulating on social media shows a group of people chanting “out, out, out” at a man inside the reception area, while one protester is heard saying: “There’s a foreigner in there with a mask on not even answering questions.” One refugee support group condemned the demonstration, saying it raises concerns over “racism and scapegoating”.
The asylum seekers were first placed at the hotel in November by the Home Office and its contractor Serco amid a national backlog in asylum applications. Ben Bradley, Mansfield ’s Conservative MP and leader of the county council, voiced concerns at the time, saying the hotel is “not the right place” for them.
