Staff lose jobs as first migrants arrive at Hull Humber View Hotel

Staff say they have lost their jobs at a hotel after it was taken over by the Home Office to house asylum seekers.

Immigration officials are now in place at the Hull Humber View Hotel in North Ferriby, East Yorkshire, after the first migrants moved in this week.

It comes after the High Court overturned an injunction granted to East Riding of Yorkshire Council to prevent asylum seekers being accommodated at the hotel.

An employee of the hotel told the Hull Live website 30 to 40 staff have been dismissed.

The employee, who wanted to remain anonymous, said around 16 immigration officers arrived at the site on Tuesday, ahead of asylum seekers arriving and workers being told on Wednesday that they were being let go.

She said: “It's just not fair seeing your colleagues going out crying. It's just not nice. I’ll be fine financially but there are a couple of people there, single mothers of two kids, who are going to struggle."

The woman added: “It was full of employees from the immigration office so it was taken over by them. They could be working in an office on other cases and let us still manage the hotel.

“The frustration for every employee at the moment is the lack of information, and then when we get some it was that we were made redundant or given one week's notice and that's about it. I’ll be fine because I’ve got a husband to support me, but what about other people?"

David Davis, the MP for Haltemprice and Howden, told ITV News a constituent had contacted him after her son lost his job, despite "only having got it a few weeks ago".

He added: "That's another unfortunate outcome of this... to take a man on then lay him off."

Mr Davis has written to immigration minister Robert Jenrick after claiming he was blind-sided by the Home Office's decision to use the hotel.

Mr Davis said he had met with Mr Jenrick days before to outline concerns about the hotel's location and "the pressure that would be placed on local services".

The letter reads: "I am therefore extremely disappointed that, once again, the Home Office has failed to provide any notification whatsoever of the arrival of asylum seekers. I have been left to find out about this through reports in the press. This is entirely unacceptable."

Mr Jenrick has responded, admitting Home Office engagement with MPs and local authorities is "unacceptable".

In a letter, he said officials were taking steps "to rectify the situation", including a new requirement to notify MPs at least a day before migrants arrive at a hotel in their constituency.

Meanwhile, asylum seekers in the Hull Humber View Hotel have described their journeys from war-torn Syria and Afghanistan to North Ferriby.

One man said he was happy to have a bed after "sleeping on the floor" at the Manston Migrant Centre in Kent.

Refugee charities have expressed concern about migrants being housed in "unsuitable" hotel accommodation because of Home Office backlogs.

Jayne Mercer, from Hull City of Sanctuary, said: "There isn't the need for the hotels if the Home Office processes asylum claims...if people are granted leave to remain in the country, then they can work and they can obtain their own housing."

A spokesperson for LGH, which manages the Hull Humber View Hotel, declined to comment.

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