Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 17
17
The Department told us that it currently accommodated asylum seekers in hotels in approximately 50...
Conclusion
The Department told us that it currently accommodated asylum seekers in hotels in approximately 50 local authorities. It noted that whenever it arranges for a hotel to be used for asylum accommodation, it instructs its relevant teams to contact the local authority and MP affected. We were therefore concerned to hear of instances where colleagues had not been informed that asylum seekers were being accommodated in hotels in their constituencies. Instead, they had found out through Twitter or the local press.47 In its written evidence, the British Refugee Council asserted that while the accommodation contracts require providers to engage the relevant local authority and police force when procuring new properties to house asylum seekers, there was no similar requirement when providers used hotels as contingency accommodation.48
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
1.2 There are clear and established mechanisms for national and local engagement between the Home Office (the department) and its stakeholders and partners. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has dedicated MP account management teams. There is a national structure for engagement with local authorities headed by a Chief Executives group, and a national structure for engagement with the third sector headed by a Strategic Engagement Group. The department and its accommodation providers also engage intensively at a local level. These fora generally work well and are effective, although they have not always met the needs of stakeholders, especially during the initial period of the Covid-19 pandemic. 1.3 The department has listened to the feedback of the Committee and stakeholders and taken further steps to improve its engagement work. The department has also recently been consulting stakeholders on how to make its engagement more effective and is conducting lessons learned exercises to look at how it 6 can be improved further. This will be reflected in the Directorate Engagement Strategy which will be shared with stakeholders.