Huddersfield University students told HD1 flats to be used by asylum seekers

Nearly 170 university students have been told to find alternative accommodation after a block of flats was taken over by the Home Office to house asylum seekers.

The HD1 studio flats in Huddersfield were due to become home to 168 students this academic year, according to the managing agent Prestige Student Living.

However, the Home Office now plans to use the 405-bed property – which is a short walk from the university campus – to accommodate migrants waiting for their asylum claims to be processed.

A spokesperson for Prestige Student Living said: "Hudd Student Management, the landlord for HD1, informed us that the building will not be opening to students in September.

"This decision is beyond the control of Prestige Student Living.

"Our team took immediate action to inform students and help them secure alternative accommodation in Huddersfield and return all payments made to us.

"We deeply sympathise with the students affected by the news and will do all we can to support them."

The landlord declined to comment.

The government has had to resort to using hotels and other buildings as emergency accommodation for asylum seekers amid a record backlog in claims.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We have always been up front about the unprecedented pressure being put on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country.

"We continue to work across government and with local authorities to identify a range of accommodation options.

"The government remains committed to engaging with local authorities and key stakeholders as part of this process."

Labour's shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said students were "paying the price for the government's reliance on emergency accommodation".

"The asylum backlog has ballooned from 19,000 in 2010 to a staggering 175,000 today, with the annual cost rising eight-fold to an eye-watering £4bn.

"Labour has a plan to end the dangerous Channel crossings and end the use of inappropriate asylum accommodation, by going after the criminal gangs, speeding up asylum decision-making and removals of failed asylum seekers and getting a new deal with the EU based on safe returns and a capped family reunion pathway."

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