The Government have today announced that the hotel being used to house asylum seekers in Kegworth will now close in July this year. It is was one of the last remaining hotels being used in Leicestershire and follows the closure of 100 other hotels across the Country.
This has been made possible by the Government being able to bring forward more appropriate forms of accommodation such as former military sites and barges. The Government have also made progress on cracking down on the criminal gangs who are responsible for the channel crossing, which reduced by 36% last year and thus reduced the demand for accommodation.
I very much welcome the closure and thank local residents and community leaders as well as the District and County Council who have managed a very difficult and unsettling situation. I will look to work with the community to see this hotel is restored, so it once again provides valuable local employment and amenity. I will also be supporting Government efforts to deter further crossings and disrupt these criminal gangs.
