You may have seen the media coverage of 40 asylum seekers who were unhappy with having to share rooms at a hotel the Home Office had assigned them in Pimlico.

In the House of Commons, Nickie Aiken, Member of Parliament for the Cities of London & Westminster, raised this situation with the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman MP, and asked for a meeting to discuss the suitability of asylum seekers sharing rooms in central London’s hotels as they tend to be smaller and more expensive for the taxpayer. 

Speaking in the Commons, Nickie said,

"I thank the Home Secretary for her statement. We saw the consequences of illegal immigration last week when 40 asylum seekers refused to share rooms in a hotel in Pimlico, in my constituency. I thank local Councillors Jim Glen, Ed Pitt Ford and Jacqui Wilkinson, who worked with me to liaise with the Home Office and the council to ensure that the matter was resolved quickly. 

"Will the Home Secretary confirm whether Westminster City Council was informed that the hotel was to be used, as the leader of the council has claimed it was not? Will she also meet me to discuss that incident and whether central London hotels are suitable to house asylum seekers in this way, as they tend to be much smaller and more expensive for the British taxpayer?"

The Home Secretary replied,

"I thank my hon. Friend for all her work for her local constituents in handling this challenging matter. I am cognisant of the fact that there is a very high number of asylum seekers in her constituency. The individuals in question were properly notified of the changes to their accommodation and were offered appropriate accommodation at all times. Our contractors work closely with the local authorities that are supporting asylum seekers all over the country. I will be pleased to meet my hon. Friend, and if I cannot the Immigration Minister will; we will definitely liaise with her more closely."