Local residents in a major UK city have been left furious after the Home Office’s plan to house asylum seekers in student accommodation was revealed. In a bid to tackle the mounting pressure of moving migrants out of hotels, applications have been submitted to convert university flats to house them instead.
One example, revealed by The Sun, includes a 247-bedroom block of flats in Leeds which is close to the famous Otley Run pub crawl. Mary Morris House in Headingley, owned by a London property firm, may soon house asylum seekers instead. The application to convert it into a hostel was submitted last month, with the outcome expected in October. The documents do not mention the conversion being for asylum seekers – it was only when Leeds City Council released a statement which clarified the application.
The council said: “The Home Office has advised the council that the submission is part of wider central government efforts to reduce the reliance on hotel use for those seeking asylum.”
Since the application was made public, locals in Leeds have expressed their anger. “I have concerns for residents’ safety,” 21-year-old student nurse Sara Bejoy told the newspaper. “Also, it is so close to the Otley Run, where there are a lot of drunk girls in outfits.
“This could be confusing for immigrants, not knowing the culture, and something bad might happen.
“I come back from work at 11pm and I would not feel safe.”
Leeds resident Charles McAdam, 62, claims Leeds City Council and the Government “are turning a deaf ear to genuine concerns.”
“Putting a lot of young foreign males in a place like this, where there are a lot of young girls away from their parents for the first time and could be vulnerable, is not a good idea,” he said.
The revelation of student digs being earmarked to house migrants has now sparked fear that other university accommodations may be targeted next.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “This is a huge waste of taxpayers’ money and shows the government has totally lost control of our borders.
“A new Home Secretary will make no difference to Labour’s migrant crisis.”
The Home Office told The Sun: “Decisions about accommodation are made with careful consideration alongside local authorities, as part of our strategy to reduce dependence on expensive hotel provision and to create a more sustainable and cost-effective asylum system.”