Placing asylum seekers in resorts will ‘spark new wave of violence’

Placing more asylum seekers in hotels will fuel resentment and spark fresh ­violence, the Home Office has been warned.

Protests have already rocked the country and the Local Government Association, which represents authorities, believes that things will get worse.

It said: “There has been a considerable increase in concerns from councils around growing ­tensions linked to asylum and resettlement and an uptick in activity from activists.”

And it warned: “We anticipate that these issues will continue to grow, both as increasing numbers of local authorities receive new arrivals, and as narratives build on mainstream concerns about pressures on public services/housing stock, safety, the cost of ­living and on anti-establishment rhetoric.”

There has been a series of demonstrations outside hotels, including a clash in February in Knowsley, Merseyside, where police said extremist groups had “used it as an excuse to commit violence”.

But the Home Office is continuing to place arrivals in hotels, despite vowing to end it. Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been urged by a police and crime commissioner to “pause and review” plans to house around 250 ­people at a luxury spa hotel in Llanelli.

The Stradey Park Hotel axed staff and ­cancelled bookings and weddings in preparation for the switch. But Dafydd Llywelyn, the local Police and Crime Commissioner, warned of “potentially serious and escalating tensions”.

And Lee Waters, Llanelli’s Labour member of the Welsh Parliament, mentioned “communities right across the country” confronted the same state of affairs. He added: “The Home Office refuses to listen and that’s making people feel powerless and angry.”

Home Office figures in May confirmed 47,518 asylum seekers had been in resorts. The Government has pledged to scale back their use. Last week 46 arrived on the former navy web site in Wethersfield, Essex.

Preparations are additionally persevering with on the Bibby Stockholm vessel, which is able to start to deal with folks later this month.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick mentioned: “Those who’ve entered illegally shouldn’t be in resorts. Disused navy websites and vessels will present lodging for small boat arrivals whereas we pursue their elimination.