Salford city mayor blasts Government over new influx of asylum seekers at hotelSalford city mayor Paul Dennett has blasted the Government after he was told a hotel in the borough is to accommodate 238 asylum seekers in the next two weeks. The Home Office has asked the Local Democracy Reporting Service to withhold the identity of the hotel on grounds of public safety.
Mr Dennett described the 'sudden announcement' as coming as an 'absolute shock', voicing concern about the lack of consultation from the Government. He went on: “Salford is happy to take its fair share of asylum seekers - but why, when this city already houses more than four times the national average, are we being put to the front of the queue when wealthier areas in the south of England are not taking any of the pressure themselves?
“My understanding is that the site visit by SERCO carried out on Wednesday was conducted without consultation. Only four staff on site will be responsible for managing this large number of people."
