By Locals respond to reversal of St James Hotel plans to house asylum seekers
Yesterday it was announced that the government plans to house asylum seekers in St James Hotel in Grimsby have been reversed.
On Wednesday, news broke that Corus, the firm which owns the hotel, had entered an ‘exclusive contract’ with the government to house asylum seekers after an influx arriving in the UK.
Hotel bookings and events were canceled last minute as the firm apologised for any inconvenience.
Grimsby MP Lia Nici told Gi Media that she contacted Home Secretary Priti Patel and lobbied for the plans to be reversed.
She said: “I think it [St James Hotel] is a wholly inappropriate place for asylum seekers to be put in a town center, in one building.”
She added that despite the public backlash, it was her own decision to lobby for this decision: “We’re regenerating the town center and I don’t think it’s an appropriate place for asylum seekers, especially if they’re going to be illegal asylum seekers.
“I think it would create issues such as public order issues that we could do without in the town.”
Ms Nici went on to say that she got in touch with the Immigration Minister before escalating it to Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Many locals were relieved to hear that the plans had been changed, as the scheme received mixed reactions.
One wrote: “Well that hotel has just destroyed their own reputation in the space of a week. Corus will probably sell up as nobody sane will trust their bookings will be honoured.”
Another said: “Greedy business owners, deserve to go bust after this, no one will use the place now their reputation in tatters. The only people I feel for are the couples who had their weddings cancelled last minute.”
“Personally think everyone who originally had bookings should book elsewhere, the only reason this hotel has done this is for the money! They weren’t bothered about people’s special occasions coming up.”
Some felt that the Grimsby MP only acted to increase her popularity, with one writing: “The cynical among us could be forgiven to think it was a manufactured ruse to gain popularly by the local MP who is flagging in the popularity stakes.”
