Government figures confirm numbers of asylum seekers in Telford hotels

The data shows that as of June 30, there were 245 asylum seekers in Telford hotels.

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There are currently none staying in hotels in the Shropshire Council area. Last year Shrewsbury's Lion Hotel, on Wyle Cop, which had been housing asylum seekers, stopped doing so.

Across the UK there were 32,059 asylum seekers in hotels as of June 30, up from 29,585 at the same point a year earlier, when the Conservatives were still in power but down slightly on the 32,345 figure at the end of March.

Following the Epping ruling a number of councils have indicated they are considering the legal position in relation to the use of hotels in their areas for asylum seekers.

Asked about the issue, Telford & Wrekin Council said it was monitoring the national position.

A spokesman for the authority said: "Hotels housing asylum seekers in our borough are managed by the Government and Serco and have been since their first use in 2021.

"We have been in regular, continual contact with Serco about their management and will continue to do so.

"We will also continue to monitor the ongoing national situation."

Telford's Labour MP, Shaun Davies, has previously called on his own government to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers and "give them back to their communities".

The Epping Forest District Council legal challenge saw the Essex authority granted a High Court temporary injunction - on planning grounds.

It came after weeks of protests outside the hotel in question after a previous resident was accused of trying to kiss a teenage girl – charges he denies and which he is due to stand trial for later this month.

The council said it had sought the injunction because of 'unprecedented levels of protest and disruption' in connection with asylum seeker accommodation.

Demonstrations have been held outside other hotels including the Britannia International Hotel in London’s Canary Wharf.

In the West Midlands, Dudley's Council Leader Patrick Harley said he had begun legal proceedings to close the borough's only hotel - which has 51 asylum seekers.

Councillor Ian Cooper, leader of Staffordshire County Council, said he was talking to his counterparts in the district and borough councils about similar action.

Wolverhampton Council also said it was studying the legal position.