Huddersfield student accommodation to house asylum seekers

More than 160 students have been told to find alternative accommodation after their flats were taken over by the Home Office to house asylum seekers.

The Huddersfield University students had been due to move in to the HD1 block of flats for the autumn term.

But Prestige Student Living, which manages the site, said the change of use of the 405-bed block of flats was "beyond the control" of the company.

It said it had helped students find other accommodation in the town.

The flats are a four-minute drive from the campus and 168 students were expected to move in within weeks, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A Prestige Student Living spokesperson said that following the decision its team "took immediate action to inform students and help them secure alternative accommodation in Huddersfield and return all payments made to us".

"We deeply sympathise with the students affected by the news and will do all we can to support them," they said.

A Home Office spokesperson said the government had "always been upfront about the unprecedented pressure being put on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country".

They added: "We continue to work across government and with local authorities to identify a range of accommodation options. The government remains committed to engaging with local authorities and key stakeholders as part of this process."

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].