Aberconwy asylum hotel plan attacked by Welsh government

It is unacceptable that a north Wales hotel is housing asylum seekers without the Welsh government, councils or police being told, a minister has said.

Labour Social Justice minister Jane Hutt warned the Home Office risks fostering extremism and said the hotel was in a rural location with none of the specialist services needed nearby.

The hotel is being used to ease overcrowding at Kent detention centres.

The Home Office said hotels provided a short-term, safe solution.

BBC Wales is not naming the hotel for safeguarding reasons.

Ms Hutt compared the situation to the lack of consultation over Penally, an army camp used to house asylum seekers which was closed after it was criticised by inspectors.

"The Welsh government is aware of the pressures faced by the Home Office in providing accommodation for asylum seekers," Ms Hutt said in a letter, seen by BBC Wales, to the UK Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick.

"However, it is unacceptable that your department has failed to contact or notify the Welsh government, members of the Senedd and key partners such as local authorities, health boards and the police in Wales before putting these arrangements in place."

She said the north Wales hotel was being used "with no prior consultation or notification of use".

Ms Hutt said that without proper engagement "there could well be a lack of trust and confidence within the wider community; this in turn could result in increased risks for the asylum seekers themselves.

"We have particular concerns about the impact on community cohesion within the areas of hotels being established, which may also experience increased, adverse interest from hostile organisations which are active within Wales.

"It is short-sighted to focus dogmatically on one Home Office aim - to reduce the costs of the asylum system - in ways which are likely to foster extremism which the Home Office seeks to eliminate."

Ms Hutt added the north Wales hotel is in a rural location "with none of the specialist services which asylum populations require - including traumatic stress mental health services, communicable disease specialists, English for Speakers of Other Language tutors, immigration legal advisors, interpreters, or refugee drop-in services".

She asked that Welsh ministers are informed in the same way and at the same time as MPs and councils, urged the Home Office to use contingency accommodation and "provide sufficient funding" to minimise the risk to residents at hotels and within the community.

Mr Jenrick told the Commons on Monday that he had agreed with officials that all MPs should be informed of new facilities opening in their constituency ahead of time.

Earlier this week Conservative Aberconwy Senedd member Janet Finch Saunders said the decision had sparked local anger.

Writing to the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, she expressed "serious concerns" and demanded the decision be reversed.

Conwy council said it was also not given advance warning of the Home Office plan.

An email from the operators to local politicians on Saturday, seen by the BBC, said: "With the current crisis in Kent in relation to the overcrowding of detention centres, the Home Office have reached out asking us to take a short-term accommodation contract, which we felt was the right thing to do.

"This was an urgent project for them and we have been contracted with immediate effect.

"The agreement we have entered appoints us as the host accommodation provider, but all security is provided by the Home Office."

The Home Office said it cost £5.6m every day to house more than 37,000 asylum seekers in hotels.

A spokesman added: "We have received Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt's concerns and thank the Welsh government for their continued cooperation thus far.

"We accept that while hotels do not provide a long-term solution, they do ensure accommodation provided is safe, secure, leaves no-one destitute and is appropriate for each individual's needs."