Ashford hotel stops hosting asylum seekers as MP welcomes closures
Holiday Inn in Ashford emptied of asylum seekers as part of Labour’s cost-saving moves
The Holiday Inn in Ashford will no longer be used to house asylum seekers or those awaiting refugee status, confirmed today.
The closure follows strenuous efforts by Sojan Joseph, the MP for Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages, who has campaigned to end the hotel's use for asylum accommodation.
In a significant move by the Labour Government, which has now closed over half of the asylum hotels initiated by the previous Conservative administration, taxpayers are poised to save nearly £65 million annually from recent closures alone. Since Labour took office, overall asylum costs have plummeted by almost £1 billion.
MP Sojan Joseph Welcomes Closure
Sojan Joseph MP expressed his satisfaction with the decision, highlighting his commitment to achieving this outcome:
“I’ve been campaigning to get the asylum hotel in Ashford closed and I truly welcome that it’s happened."
"In my view, hotels introduced during Robert Jenrick's time as Migration Minister under the last Tory Government were short-sighted and costly."
Joseph emphasised the importance of fast-tracking the reduction of the asylum backlog and deporting individuals who lack entitlement to stay in the country:
"It’s crucial we go further and faster – speeding up reducing the asylum backlog, deporting those who have no right to be here, and ensuring that we fix the broken asylum system we inherited from the Tories."
In closing, Joseph remarked on the benefits for Ashford residents:
"Closing the asylum hotel will take the pressure off my constituents and save them money.”