No action has been taken on the possibility of evicting asylum seekers staying at hotels in Reading.
No action is being taken to evict asylum seekers from hotels in Reading, despite recent developments elsewhere.
After Epping Forest District Council secured an interim injunction to close The Bell Hotel for housing asylum seekers, at least 17 other councils are now considering similar legal action.
However, a spokesperson for Reading Borough Council confirmed that they will not be taking any action against local hotels.
Last Friday, a Court of Appeal ruling overturned the injunction, and a High Court trial next month will determine the legality of using The Bell Hotel for this purpose.
The George Hotel in Reading has been suspected of housing asylum seekers since 2020, and the Ibis Styles on Oxford Road was taken over by the government in July 2021.
Both hotels have been documented by 'citizen journalists' and auditors, highlighting their role in accommodating asylum seekers while claims are processed by the Home Office.
It’s important to note that there is a difference between those who arrive in the UK through legal routes—like refugees from Hong Kong, Ukraine, and Afghanistan—and those who arrive unannounced, often via small boats or smuggling gangs.
Reading has been a 'City of Sanctuary' since 2015, with the current mayor, councillor Alice Mpofu-Coles, a former refugee from Zimbabwe.
Refugees in Berkshire receive support from the Refugee Support Group at the Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC). Local MPs have been asked about the impact on services and public safety but have not yet responded.
Earlier this year, MP Yuan Yang mentioned that the government is working to speed up asylum applications and reduce hotel usage.
Fact-checking site Full Fact reports a slight decrease in the number of hotels used to house asylum seekers, dropping from 213 in July 2024 to 210 in August.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
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