Our country has a proud tradition of offering refuge to those fleeing persecution, and should continue to do so, but if we were designing an asylum system from scratch, we wouldn’t create the one we’ve got. 

 Make no mistake, if this Labour government fails to fix this problem, then the very concept of asylum will be on the ballot paper at the next General Election. 

 One of the most difficult aspects of our broken asylum system to accept is the asylum hotels. First created by the man who has apparently had a damascene conversion, Robert Jenrick, the hotels have come to dominate the discussion about small boat crossings. My constituents broadly accept that where people are fleeing persecution, we should allow for a process which vets and processes them until such time when (hopefully quickly) their claim is assessed. 

 What they do not support is the image of beloved institutions like the Crewe Arms Hotel being closed down for years at a time while housing asylum seekers who, under the previous government, were waiting 18 months to 2 years to be processed. 

 The decisions made by the Tories to farm out asylum contracts to private companies looted taxpayers’ money to the tune of over £380 million. This government has committed to undoing that mess and ending the use of asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament. 

 I am delighted that the government has taken a firm step towards fulfilling that promise, by confirming to me that the Crewe Arms hotel will cease to operate as asylum accommodation by the end of April 2026. 

Constituents are still feeling effects of cost-of-living crisis and cannot understand why the luxury of what they perceive to be a ‘free hotel’ is afforded to people who, for as long as their claims are being processed, are significantly handicapped in their ability to contribute to society.  

They understandably see British citizens struggling to put food on their table or heat their homes as a result of the legacy political failures in recent decades and our perceived generosity towards those who have arrived on small boats jars with the British sense of fairness. 

The fact of the matter is that the living conditions in asylum hotels are far from luxurious. There have been reports of rat infestations, malnutrition and unhygienic rooms. Unfortunately, that doesn’t change the frustration that many feel and the only ones benefitting from the current setup are the providers which manage these contracts and bad faith actors. 

For many months, I have been pushing the government to close the asylum hotels in Crewe, asking questions in the House of Commons Chamber and most recently writing to the Minister for Border Security and Asylum. 

Using local hotels as long‑term asylum accommodation is no longer appropriate or workable. It’s time for the government to end the use of asylum hotels in Crewe and put forward a clear plan for purpose‑built, properly supported accommodation that ensures safety, stability and fairness for everyone.