Wakefield beauty salon owner told to move from asylum seeker hotel

A beauty salon owner says she was given two days' notice to move her salon from a hotel after bosses told her it was closing to house asylum seekers.

Jane Jennings was told the Best Western St Pierre Hotel in Newmillerdam, Wakefield, had accepted a Home Office contract and she had to move out.

Wakefield Council has been trying to oppose the move because of the pressure already on public services.

The Home Office said it had a statutory obligation to provide accommodation.

A spokesman said the increase in Channel crossings had put the system under greater strain and it had to house asylum seekers "who would otherwise be destitute" while it considered their claims.

The spokesman said: "We are committed to making every effort to reduce hotel use and continue to engage with local authorities as early as possible whenever sites are used for asylum accommodation."

Ms Jennings, of the Jessica Harvey Beauty Group, said finding out she was forced to move had been "horrendous" and she was now doing some treatments at home.

She said: "I had a message on Monday asking to ring the hotel manager, who said they didn't know how to tell me but from Wednesday the hotel would be closing to the public so obviously I couldn't continue my business from there.

"I have had to cancel some ladies unfortunately, but I've got people who are going on holiday, who are getting married, that kind of thing, so I have had to find an alternative for them for the very short term, while also trying to move all my things from the hotel."

Wakefield Council leader Denise Jeffery said: "We've been lobbying the Home Office since March.

"We've asked them to reconsider their scattergun and unsustainable approach.

"They need to get a grip. They should be making decisions on cases much quicker, putting in place a proper system of support which treats asylum seekers humanely rather than blaming them for their own failures."

She added it should be "providing reassurance to our communities rightly concerned about the impact on our public services".

She added: "We've been met with complete silence at every turn. Until now, when they announce they are filling yet another of the district's hotels in only a few days."

Dewsbury Conservative MP Mark Eastwood said he was also opposed to the plan, which would harm the local tourism industry.

He said: "I am disappointed that the St Pierre Hotel will be used for asylum seekers again.

"The area around Newmillerdam is a visitor hotspot for Wakefield, and with Cedar Court also in long-term use for asylum seekers it's harming the tourism industry in the area at peak season.

"It's clear that it's not a suitable location. I have promised to do all I can to help."

Wakefield Council said while the asylum seekers were in the hotel, they would be accommodated and managed by the Home Office and Mears Group.

The council and health services would work with them and the voluntary community sector to support their basic needs.

Best Western has been approached for comment.

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