The impending closure of a local hotel to women and families seeking asylum has prompted the leader of the council to write to the government.
Labour councillor Bella Sankey has written to the Labour MP Anna Turley, the Minister for Border Security and Asylum at the Home Office.
The Brighton and Hove City Council leader called for greater joint working and local compassionate solutions.
Councillor Sankey shared local concerns around plans to disperse residents from the hotel and the growing uncertainty for those affected.
She said that the council supported the government’s commitment to end the use of hotels.
But the decision would mean that, within weeks, those who have been living there – including some families who have been staying locally for a significant period of time – would be moved elsewhere.
Councillor Sankey has asked the Home Office to provide reassurance that any dispersal plans will not unfairly disadvantage those affected.
She said: “I fully welcome the government’s commitment to ending the use of hotels to house people seeking asylum. The use of hotels for extended periods of time is inhumane and not conducive to community cohesion.
“However, I am increasingly concerned about the impact that current arrangements are having on women and families living in Brighton and Hove, many of whom have spent considerable time in our city and have developed strong connections to local schools, health services, support organisations and community networks.”
Councillor Sankey said: “A number of recurring concerns have also been raised with us both by residents and other local support organisations.
“There is a significant level of public concern about the impact of relocations on people who have become valued members of our communities.
“And it is only right that as a council we press the Home Office for more information and stress the need for proper support to be arranged before any dispersals take place.”
Councillor Sankey has also asked the Home Office to consider whether an approach similar to the successful Ukraine community sponsorship model could be explored and adapted locally to help people seeking asylum remain close to established support networks while their claims are processed.
She said: “We would also encourage consideration of opportunities for accommodation providers to repurpose suitable properties, including houses in multiple occupation, to create safe and appropriate accommodation for women and families where a need has been identified.
“Brighton and Hove has a long history of supporting people seeking sanctuary and I am proud of the compassion shown by local residents, community organisations, faith groups and volunteers.
“We remain committed to working constructively with the Home Office and its partners to ensure that residents are treated with dignity, fairness and humanity throughout this process.”
“The use of hotels for extensive periods of time is inhumane,” states the leader of the Council. Well Bella, how many people do Brighton & Hove actually farm out to other towns in hostels and bedsits? Hardly conducive to “community cohesion” is it?
Labour out.
Bella, I am appalled that you are in the news spouting out your care for families who have made a life for themselves in the city. Whist you are planning to move a disabled family out to Peacehaven where there is no medical or social support for them. The original flat that this family has been subjected to exist in,that you have approved is worse than where Awabb died. Perhaps the home office can investigate BHCC’s attitude towards local people who are homeless due to no fault of their own!
BHCC LEADER BELLA SANKEY SPEAKS a lot of horse manure, they should have been processed and sent back along time ago,its a wonder that this council, and labour government havent thought about building asylum towns and city’s for them poor darlings,so they can spit on our own homeless people it makes my skin crawl to think Illegals have priority over indigenous people, when is the penny going to drop,Farage will soon sort it all out, I’m not a big fan of his,but I am a mighty big follower of Rupert lowe and restore Britain, I think he is a super person and would like him as the prime minister of this country
Everyone has to take their share, it can’t just be the slums that take these fake asylum seekers
Ms Sankey is one of the worst things to happen to Brighton. She has enabled abuse against the disabled, the elderly, the gay and the vulnerable and by doing nothing is complicit
Does anyone know if this is correct, that there are three sites supposedly to be in Queens Park area and also several in Hove area?
Does anyone have any information on if this is correct and potentially what exact area they would be in Hove and what parts of Queens Park are they going in, as I don’t know of any particular hotels or HMOs that are in those areas?
But she doesn’t care about 21 vulnerable adults with learning difficulties losing their vital day centre when she decided to sell. Incomers with unchecked identities and histories have more human rights than the natives in her book.
I have not checked your identity or history. Please explain yourself or I will consider you a wrong’n to be treated with suspicion (especially around our women and children).
James has a point. We can’t even leave our own country, never mind enter anyone else’s without multiple identity checks. Please explain why that is.
You have no idea about how to sail a boat?
Will she also be writing about the closure of Wellington House?
I very much doubt it as they need that money for other things internally within the organization. Services and public funds are at the bottom of the list as they have greater self-interest than public services.