The leader of Ipswich Borough Council has called on other parts of Suffolk- and the country- to accommodate asylum seekers amid concerns the burden was falling disproportionately on urban areas. 

Councillor David Ellesmere said Government policy followed the provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 which introduced a requirement of fair dispersal of asylum seekers across the country so no one area was overburdened. 

However, he said at present larger towns and cities were taking more than their fair share and revealed that three districts within Suffolk- Babergh, Mid Suffolk and West Suffolk- had not accommodated any asylum seekers. 

East Anglian Daily Times:

Last week the High Court issued an emergency injunction to the borough council to prevent the further use of the Novotel- or any other hotel in the borough- as a hostel by accommodating asylum seekers. 

The injunction does not apply to the 70 asylum seekers who have already moved into the Novotel and lasts until the next hearing, which will take place on Monday, November 7. 

This is the latest stage in the council’s efforts to prevent the government from turning the hotel into a hostel for asylum seekers. 

Cllr Ellesmere revealed there were a further 65 spaces in private rented accommodation in the borough, but the only other authority to provide homes for asylum seekers was East Suffolk, which had three spaces. 

He said: “This is a national issue and I think it is important for the whole country to work to help to resolve and that does mean that in line with the Government’s fair dispersal policy, we should be expecting all areas of the country to be hosting their fair share of asylum seekers. 

“So if there are areas of the country- in Suffolk or elsewhere- that are not hosting asylum seekers, then in my view they need to be stepping up to the plate.” 

He believed asylum seekers were put up in hotels because the system was in ‘chaos’ and he wanted the Home Office to employ more staff to find them homes. 

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The asylum accommodation system is under enormous pressure, with more than 37,000 migrants being accommodated in hotels due to the huge increase in dangerous small boat crossings, costing the taxpayer more than £5 million a day. 

“We are working with local authorities– including Ipswich Borough Council who were engaged throughout the process – to find appropriate accommodation across the UK and end the use of hotels.” 

An East Suffolk Council spokesperson said: “While the proposed local authority allocation to be achieved by December 2023 presents challenges in terms of finding suitable properties, East Suffolk Council will continue to work with accommodation providers and partners by ensuring expectations are realistic and that properties meet quality standards.

“We are assured that accommodation providers and the Home Office are committed to working strategically and collaboratively with local authorities and other partners to ensure that no local authority is adversely impacted by the number of bedspaces procured and distributed."