T
he home office has told asylum seekers staying in hotels it will not give them free access to non-basic toiletries and “over-the-counter medicines”, according to a letter seen by the PA news agency.
The letter, which says the measures will take effect on February 11, comes after it was revealed that the government spends £4.7m a day accommodating asylum seekers in hotels, an estimated £127 per person.
Faiz Mohammad Seddeqi, a former security guard at the British Embassy in Kabul, has been staying in a hotel for almost six months after being evacuated to the UK Afghanistan August with his wife and son.
The 30-year-old received the letter on Thursday and told PA through an interpreter: “When we see that kind of reaction and decision from (the) Home Office it means that from now on we don’t care about you and we care not about you – you have to manage everything yourself.”
Mr Seddeqi and his family are staying at a hotel in Watford, which he described as “not very clean”.
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The letter, addressed to the Ministry of Interior by the Afghanistan Resettlement Arrivals Project, reads: “Until now, in addition to yours universal credit Payments and the accommodation and meals provided in the bridging hotels, we have also provided some additional items.
“I am writing to inform you that as of February 11th we will no longer be offering these additional items and you will need to purchase these yourself with your Universal Credit payments.”
The letter said asylum seekers will continue to receive “main meals,” including “baby food and baby milk,” but will no longer receive “free snacks, toiletries (other than basic toiletries) or over-the-counter medicines.”
“You must pay for your own transportation or taxi fares to appointments,” the letter adds.
Mr. Seddeqi said he knew other refugees staying at his hotel had also received the letter.
Currently, 25,000 asylum seekers and 12,000 Afghan refugees are being accommodated in hotels, a total of 37,000, the Interior Ministry told the Interior Committee on Wednesday.
At the committee meeting on Wednesday, MPs were told the government was “optimistic” that it would find a new way of working with councils “on how we manage these costs”.
home secretary Priti Patel said the policy was “completely inadequate,” adding, “We don’t want people in hotels.”
She also said the government and local authorities were “absolutely struggling” to move Afghan refugees into more suitable, permanent shelters because the country lacked adequate infrastructure.
PA has reached out to the Home Office for comment but they had not responded at the time of publication.
