Stradey Park: Tensions build as community of Llanelli split ahead of asylum seekers’ arrival

On the face of it, Llanelli is a town divided.

The area in west Wales is getting ready to house more than two hundred asylum seekers at the four-star Stradey Park Hotel - and the plans have appeared to split the town down the middle.

Many locals are concerned about the pressures to house people in this Welsh coastal spot, whilst others say Llanelli must step up and play its part in offering a place to those seeking refuge.

It's a dilemma that the UK Government is having to deal with across the county. There is now unprecedented demand to accommodate those who've fled their own country in search of safety.

Last year the UK Government had 74,751 asylum applications and at present there are more than 51,000 asylum seekers in hotels across the UK with that number growing.

'Nation of sanctuary'

Not only does the UK Government have a legal obligation to offer places of refuge, the Welsh Government sees it as its moral obligation in priding itself as a place of safety for anyone fleeing persecution.

In 2019, it even went as far as declaring that Wales would become the world's first 'Nation of Sanctuary' and committed to having a "distinctive Welsh response."

But despite such a commitment from politicians in the Senedd, it doesn't appear that that sentiment is wholeheartedly shared by everyone in Wales.

In the case of the Stradey Park Hotel, there are still so many questions yet to be answered by the UK Government and this week Wales' First Minister criticised the Home Office's handling of the plan and for not consulting the Welsh Government or local authority.

However, he did insist that “when it comes to asylum seekers, Wales is committed to playing our fair part.”

What's happening on the ground: Analysis from ITV Wales reporter, Gwennan Campbell

Monday 10 July was the fourth day of demonstrations outside Stradey Park Hotel.

Hundreds of people gathered to show their opposition to the plan to house more than 200 asylum seekers.

Yesterday was the day the asylum seekers were expected to be moved in.

That’s because last month, 95 staff members were told that their contracts would be terminated from July and all bookings would be cancelled from this week.

But there are still no signs of them. 

There was a high police presence outside the hotel last night with protesters standing on both sides of the street, holding banners with words such as ‘Save our community’ and ‘we were never asked’.

Some had even brought their tents and were gathering in front of the entrance. 

It was a peaceful protest, but at times the atmosphere was quite hostile with a counter-protest happening on the other side of the street set up by ‘Stand Up for Racism Llanelli’ - showing support for those fleeing their homes.

Organisers told me that they're worried about the welfare of the asylum seekers and are now urging the community to unite behind the cause.

A spokesperson said: “‘Stand Up for Racism Llanelli’ was set up in 2018 to help build a world in which racism no longer exists in our town. Many people are now joining us who want to offer support to the asylum seekers and show that we’re a town of sanctuary.

“Llanelli has always been a welcoming town where people look out for each other and we want to keep it that way. 

“We are concerned for the welfare of the asylum seekers with misinformation and far-right activists travelling into the area.

“People now need to come together just like other towns across the UK and welcome the asylum seeking families into our community. The hotel can’t be saved now and we don’t want to see anyone else arrested or hurt.”

There has been a lot of local opposition with the ‘Furnace Action Committee’ being set up to campaign against the plan. 

Robert Lloyd who has been organising these protests said that the community has not been consulted about the proposal.

“We’re objecting on a number of fronts”, he said.

“We’re objecting the planning issue, we’re objecting on health and safety grounds. We don’t think the correct risk assessments have been done in any way. We don’t think anyone has assessed the impact on the local community in any way.”

When asked if he thought this was just "nimbyism" on the community’s behalf, he added: “Not at all. We’re already embracing asylum seekers and refugees throughout our community. What we’re objecting to is this influx of putting 240 people all in one place, scrapping what is a quality four star hotel which is essential to Carmarthenshire and Llanelli’s tourism.”

In light of the recent protest, the group said it continues to oppose the use of the Stradey Park Hotel for asylum seekers but issued an appeal for calm.

"Please do not do anything to inflame an already difficult situation. Have some respect for local residents, please have some respect for each other – even if you have different political views and please remember that the asylum seekers themselves are not the enemy here."

There is still some uncertainty as to when the asylum seekers will be moving in but I've been told that a lorry attempted to deliver beds for the asylum seekers on Saturday but it couldn't get through because of the protestors and had to turn around.

Question marks remain on exactly when the asylum seekers will arrive and what kind of welcome they’ll receive when they arrive in Llanelli. 

A timeline of events so far:

• 2 June

As the start of June, Carmarthenshire County Council received written confirmation from the Home Office about plans to house asylum seekers at the hotel.

Details then emerged that around 241 people could be housed, within the 77 rooms at the site from 3 July.

That announcement from the UK Government, sparked anger from the local authority with the Cllr. Leader of Camarthenshire County Council saying he was "outaged" by the proposal and was "firmly against" the change of use at the hotel.

That view was backed by local MP, Dame Nia Griffith, who said she would continue to "oppose any such proposal very vigorously."

• 3 June

Following the Home Office's confirmation of the change of use at the hotel, locals took to the streets to protest about the issue

• 27 June

At the end of the month, around a 100 workers at the hotel were told that they would be losing their jobs.

Staff at the hotel claimed to have been called to meetings on 27th to be told they would be made redundant from 10 July.

Dame Nia Griffith, branded the news as "outrageous" and "shoddy."

• 3 July

The original date asylum seekers were due to be moved to the hotel.

• 7 July

Trying to find a way to stop the housing of asylum seekers at the hotel, Carmarthenshire County Council decided to take the business to the High Court.

It argued planning permission had not been granted to change the status of the hotel.

However the court decided to side with the hotel owners.

A lawyer for Stradey Park’s owner, Gryphon Leisure Limited, said there is a “clear, pressing and urgent need” for asylum seeker initial accommodation, arguing there would be no breach of planning rules.

• 8-9 July

Disappointed with the outcome of the High Court decision, protesters continued to voice their frustration at the decision.

This resulted in two people being arrested outside the hotel.

Officers initially attended the site on Saturday 8 June at the request of security staff and remained at the scene as the size of the demonstration grew.

The individuals were arrested on suspicion of obstructing police following an incident whereby protesters prevented the recovery of a vehicle blocking the entrance to the property.

They have since been released on police bail.

• 10 July

People wanting to show solidarity with the asylum seekers lined the street the of the hotel.

Symbolic of this town's divisions, those supporting the arrival of asylum seekers in Llanelli stood protesting on one side of the street, with those against on the other.

The politics of the situation: Analysis from ITV Wales' Political Editor, Adrian Masters

What’s happening in Llanelli is the result of one of the most intense political arguments right now: how to deal with migrants and asylum seekers, particularly how to cut the numbers of people crossing the English Channel in small boats. 

The use of hotels such as Stradey Park Hotel is because there isn’t enough space at asylum accommodation centres. 

The Home Office is legally obliged to provide for the essential living needs of destitute asylum seekers so it has to find other options which are mostly hotel rooms but also in military sites and barges. 

A senior official in the department, Simon Ridley, told MPs on the Commons Public Accounts committee on Monday that it keeps a “buffer” of about 5,000 empty beds across the UK in case of a sudden influx of channel crossings.  

He said that “We have got excess beds that we are paying for that we can move people into immediately.”

When he became Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak made his promise to “stop the boats” one of the five pledges that he said he would deliver in office. 

However the numbers remain stubbornly high with well over a thousand migrants crossing the Channel in the last few days alone, taking the number this year to over 12,000, roughly the same number as last year. 

Rishi Sunak has acknowledged that his pledge will not be fulfilled “overnight” but that he is “throwing absolutely everything” at fixing the problem.

Those laws face further hurdles in parliament as the UK Government’s Illegal Migration Bill returns to the Commons with new amendments to try to satisfy concerns about the treatment of detained children and pregnant women.

MPs will vote later today (Tuesday 11 July) on changes backed by the House of Lords after the draft legislation suffered 20 defeats in the upper chamber.

It aims to ensure those who arrive in the UK without Government permission will be detained and promptly removed, either to their home country or a third country, such as Rwanda.

But critics have argued it is morally unacceptable and unworkable, and the Rwanda plan is now set for a battle at the Supreme Court.

All of this is causing problems for the UK Government, whose responsibility it is which is why the First Minister took aim at the Home Office in his comments yesterday.

Mark Drakeford said that the Home Office makes decisions such as those surrounding the use of Stradey Park Hotel “without reference either to the Welsh Government or to local authorities.”

In response, the Home Office insisted that it does engage with local authorities as early as possible and works to ensure arrangements are safe for hotel residents and local people. 

Here, the Welsh Government has declared Wales as a “nation of sanctuary” and the Labour politicians criticising the situation in Llanelli have insisted that that remains the aim even while they have concerns about the handling of the housing of asylum seekers. 

But it does raise questions about whether or not there’s a limit to the number of people Wales thinks it should accommodate. Mark Drakeford insisted that “when it comes to asylum seekers, Wales is committed to playing our fair part.”

What constitutes a fair part is a central question in British politics right now and, with a UK election likely to be just over a year away, you can only expect it to intensify. 

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