I recently attended an event in a civic capacity. The event, although unrelated, was just next door to an underutilised hotel in which the Home Office has recently placed a number of refugee families with children.
Because of its isolated setting, I was concerned that the people housed there would have insufficient access to facilities including medical care, schooling and shops to supply small daily needs. I was also concerned that due the corporate nature of the premises it would be inappropriate for the needs of young children.
Accordingly, I arrived early at the event venue and had a quick walk about the outside of the hotel. As I expected, there was no evidence of any play equipment or any toys, which would have softened the experience a little for already traumatised children.
At the event, amongst a range of dignitaries, was my Conservative MP, and the leaders of the various local councils.
The local councils are somewhat involved in the placement of vulnerable people within their council area, and one of them has a remit for education and child safeguarding. I approached the leader of this council to ask about the toys and education for the children. He was sympathetic but cautioned me against intervening when I mentioned dropping off some spare scooters I had near the hotel, saying simply “Be careful what you do”. He appeared a little nervous.
I then decided to approach my MP about the issue, who in his role can liaise directly with the Home Office.
I explained what I had observed. I asked about toys.
“That’s if they really *are* children!”, he said, smiling slightly unpleasantly. In the circles he moves in this is clearly passes for banter.
I persisted.
“We don’t want them here in the first place”, he opined, again thinking he would be among chums.
“They are all illegal immigrants”, he went on. Of course I took him to task about this. I explained the legal definitions behind his assertions. Semantics matter, how community leaders frame things and the language they use, matter. That’s what I told him. That’s what he took issue with.
“I don’t need a lecture from you about semantics”, he countered, raising his voice slightly. I could see the shoulders of the council officer nearby shaking with mirth as he overheard this interaction. Council officers must get quite tired of this too.
We parted after he’d conceded that these were, when all’s said and done, children of the world, who needed our help and care. He said he would take the issue of education and playthings up with the Home Office. I have no faith that he will in fact do this.
If you are in the position of being aware of refugees placed in hotels near you, please know that the Home Office is not necessarily looking after children properly. These children are being housed and fed but are not being afforded a childhood – little or no access to education or any play opportunities. Please keep an eye if you can, get involved with local support schemes. The Home Office is not doing a good job of looking after traumatised children, and they are not letting local councils or organisations input much into the local action. If anything, they appear to be trying to keep them out of the loop.
Last week, three more children were born from this hotel.
That’s if they really *are* children.
* The identity of the author is known to the editorial team. Anonymity has been chosen so as not to risk the safety of those written about.
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8 Comments
Brilliant!
Excellent article but allow me to make a couple of comments.
Firstly, you describe the people as “refugee families and children”. My understanding is that the Home Office is placing people who enter the UK ‘irregularly’ in such facilities until it is determined whether they are genuine refugees (in which case they are granted asylum) or are economic migrants in which case they are denied permission to remain in the UK. We could refer to these people as as ‘asylum seekers’, as most do go on to claim asylum, or as ‘migrants’ as that is without question an accurate description, but to describe them as ‘refugees’ seems a little premature.
Secondly, the phrase ‘if they really are children’ is very relevant as the level of support made available to those claiming to be under 18 is immeasurably more than those who admit to being 19 or 20. As they often have no papers, it is difficult to prove actual age,
I and two of my LibDem colleagues on Hertfordshire County Council had a morning long session earlier this month with the county council team tasked with looking after Separated Migrant Children. As we all know local councils are given almost no notice when the Home Office commandeers hotels for refugees, sometimes only learning after the event. Some are located in terrible locations next to motorway slip roads and miles from local facilities. Hertfordshire has pressed for no children to be housed in such locations and I think has had some success, the challenge is with the older teenagers who are often treated by the Home Office as if they are 25 and put in with adults and it is only when interviewed by HCC that their real status is understood. There are then problems with accessing schools (many of ours are at capacity) or college (like all shire county councils our bus services are broken) so you have young people deprived of education. The teams of social workers, housing specialists, seconded NHS nurses and foster carers whom we met were very impressive and clearly dedicated to looking after their charges but it is like pushing water uphill given these challenges.
As a matter of interest part of my work can involve unaccompanied children who are initially found for example on motorway lay-bys. Involves co-operation with Police and attempting to find them foster places. One example was a Saturday afternoon, two were picked up by the police in the North Midlands, temporary foster care was found at Bedford for one, Luton the other! Meant conveying them both to their destinations etc. Agencies have a list of approved Foster carers.
Working with both the Foster Carers and the individuals is not an easy business as many emotional and cultural hurdles have to be covered and combatted.
First comment from one came as we turned onto the Motorway heading south, “Look at all the green”. Both were from Afghanistan.
We had a similar situation in Stockton. Very cheap hotel on an industrial estate, OK for overnight for sports teams etc but not for living in.
It was accommodation for asylum seekers before space could be found in what is called “dispersal accommodation” in the towns – flats/houses as necessary. (answer to that one would have been speeding up decision making to free up the flats etc).
Not supposed to be children there, but there were “real” (in eyes of tories) children there from babies to about 10 years old.
There was nowhere to play, no communal rooms, just a rough car park outside. No toys provided, meals not suitable. No school or nursery provision.
the hotel was run by Mears who had the contract from the Home Office for providing housing in Yorkshire, Humberside and the North East. They were not at all happy with the situation and I must say did listen to the voluntary sector and do their best. As it was during Covid we could not just deliver clothing/toys etc, they had to go into a container for 72 hours first and that took some negotiating. But we did it.
the local authority were not informed as to who was there and had difficulty in sorting out school which needed transport too.
cont
At that time there was no financial payment at all for anyone that could make the mile to a supermarket (there is a small amount now).
The wifi was poor and some did not have phones, them having been confiscated on arrival from over the channel.
Thankfully it was closed about a year ago and there is a much better arrangement (confidential).
cont 2
Solutions?
The local authority needed to be involved and that took a lot of work re education in particular.
The voluntary sector pulled together, I as Housing Co-ordinator for Tees Valley of Sanctuary was able to get quite a lot of change, along with leaders from Drop Ins, particularly the Baptist Church.
The Red Cross did a good job, were able to provide phones with some credit on, and bewteen us we sourced items for the older young children to play on (tablet type of things), toys, clothing for all (some only had flip flops they arrived in and no coat).
working with Mears was key.
I got Environmental Health to go in and check the food quality and suitability, and although it was said all was OK there was an immediate change of chef.
hope poster still looking!
cont 3
So really you need to make sure all of such I have mentioned are informed and working together, especially Mears or their equivalent.
I put in documented evidence to a Home Affairs or Independent Immigration Inspectorate Panel (forget which).
I did call for an independent inspection regime for hotels (as there is for immigration detention centres and prisons) for out party to take up, but don’t think they did.
Contact me if I can be of help, and I will be at conference, (LDV can give my contact details) but first of all maybe see if you can establish who or what sort of organisations that are relevant are where you are, and who is the housing provider.
Well done for getting concerned.
We can all think of those we know who are under 18 and need support and care and should in these circumstances should be classified as “children”.
So I hope this gives some clues as to a way forward