Swindon Conservative councillors are demanding urgent action to stop local hotels being used to house asylum seekers, after new Home Office figures revealed a 23% increase in hotel use since June 2024.
In a letter to the Chief Executive of Swindon Borough Council, the group called for a review of all hotels being used in this way, arguing they do not have planning permission, and urged the council to seek a High Court injunction to prevent further use.
The move follows a similar case in Essex, where Epping Forest District Council recently won a temporary High Court order preventing 140 asylum seekers from being accommodated at the Bell Hotel.
Cllr Gary Sumner said the ruling “sets an important legal precedent” and argued that Swindon should follow suit:
“We have long argued against the Borough’s hotels being used to house asylum seekers. The hotels being used in Swindon are kept secret from the public to avoid protests like we have seen in Epping. This is why we have asked for a review and for court action to stop their ongoing use.”
Cllr Dale Heenan pointed to the financial pressures facing the council, which recently warned the Government it would face bankruptcy without £14.6m in exceptional financial support.
“There are now 568 supported asylum seekers in Swindon, and hotel use has risen by nearly a quarter. The Council has spent more than £500,000 in the last two years, with another £250,000 expected this year, plus £92,700 going to private landlords. Swindon literally cannot afford it.”
Heenan also criticised the Government’s immigration policy, saying those entering the UK illegally should be “sent back, not put up in hotels at taxpayer expense.”
Conservative councillors warn that unless Swindon takes legal steps, it risks becoming a “dumping ground” in what they call the Government’s “migration crisis.”
