Hotel to start removing asylum seekers three months earlier than planned

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A hotel housing asylum seekers in Standish has closed three months earlier than planned. Kiley Court Hotel in Wigan was only designated as a spot to house migrants in August in a surprise decision by the Home Office.

Uproar from local councillors, campaigners and Wigan Council led to the government changing their minds at the end of October, announcing the closure by March 2024.

Now, that decision has been brought forward and asylum seekers will start moving out as soon as today (December 21), operators Serco have confirmed. READ MORE: Storm Pia weather and travel latest as Met Office updates warning after UK battered by strong winds READ MORE: M60 traffic STOPPED after lorry overturns in Storm Pia There is no confirmation as to where they will be housed, but it is expected that it will be in similar accommodation elsewhere in the country.

A Serco spokesman said: “I can confirm that the Kilhey Court hotel has been vacated in line with the Home Office Hotel Exit strategy and we have been able to free up enough accommodation to support the closure of this hotel ahead of schedule.” The general consensus amongst objectors in the area was that the location was simply unsuitable.