Nine months after arriving in Stratford asylum seekers tell their story

Those who’ve fled their own countries either for personal or political reasons claim daily life at the hotel on the Warwick Road includes overcrowded bedrooms with families of four or more people sharing the same space.

There’s a shortage of baby clothes, children’s clothes and women’s clothes that fit and a lack of underwear.

The food is described as undercooked or overcooked, unhealthy and inedible and there’s been reports of deteriorating relations between support staff and asylum seekers and between themselves because of the different nationalities and cultures involved which includes people from Albania, Iran, Iraq, Kurdistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Africa, the Caribbean and Sri Lanka.

In addition, there are mental and physical health concerns. One asylum seeker at the hotel who did not wish to be identified told the Herald said the experience had left them anxious and depressed and they’re now on medication. They felt imprisoned and used their £8 per weekly allowance for bus travel to places like Leamington to get out for a day.

This person came to the UK legally and thought they might be treated differently but are still waiting for the Home Office to process the next phase of their application to achieve refugee status. They took the drastic decision to leave their country because of a personal situation that left them “fearful” for their own safety.

Kev Somarathna, age 33, from Sri Lanka, is another asylum seeker who was until recenty at the hotel but has moved to East Anglia. He witnessed an occasion at the Grosvenor when an asylum seeker had just undergone a Caesarean section and was in pain. Because of her small stature she could not climb on to her bed without severe discomfort, so she asked support staff for a smaller more accessible bed. The request was not acted upon leaving the woman to sleep on a settee for a week.

Kev told the Herald: “There are different cultures inside the hotel and it can be quite tough. For example, some don’t follow the rules at mealtimes where food tokens are issued so everyone gets something to eat, but there those who jump the queues, they also the ones who complain a lot and have sense of entitlement. Because of this, support staff got tougher with asylum seekers,” Kev said.

But there are those in Stratford – charities and individuals – who are working with asylum seekers to improve their lives and their English.

Roger Matthews, chair of Stratford-based charity, Welcome Here said: “We are always welcoming people and have done for Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine. New people are arriving all the time so we help by holding three informal English sessions a week, we also provide clothing. I went to a social get together organised by St Gregory’s Church at its parish hall on Bank Holiday Monday for The Big Help Out lunch and asylum seekers were invited.

“It was very full and good social get together. The Methodist Church has offered its kitchen so that people can cook food. People in the hotel don’t have a lot to do and while their bed and board is paid for they only get approximately £8 a week to buy things like toothpaste so they don’t have any real money. It’s important they meet with people and volunteers have helped make this happen. Stratford is really quite a friendly town.”

Former Stratford mayor Cllr Gill Cleeve said: “I had afternoon tea with the asylum seekers last Bank Holiday Monday to see them and talk with them and they are lovely people with most of the children at school. They are integrating into Stratford, they want to work and they want to support the community and do volunteer work where they can.”

A volunteer at the hotel, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I’ve not heard of over-crowded rooms, nor excessively strict security. The food looks OK, but I understand it’s a bit standard, and we know people miss their own cooking: that’s why some groups have been helped to cook their own food occasionally at Escape Arts and the Methodist Church Centre. I have not been conscious of an ongoing strained relationship between asylum seekers and staff or between different groups within the hotel, though I’m sure there will be tensions about specific things from time to time.

I think the fundamental day-to-day problems are probably boredom (the asylum seekers are limited by Home Office rules in what they are allowed to do) and the indeterminate wait for their cases to be resolved.”

The Home Office took over running of the hotel, which is owned by Brightstar Hospitality Management, last September.

Private contractor Serco, which works for the Home Office, assessed the accommodation and is overseeing the day-to-day running of the establishment.

More than three-quarters of those applying for asylum in the UK are ultimately granted refugee status, but there is a backlog in the processing of asylum claims by the Home Office.

A Home Office spokesperson said:

“The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain.

“We have been clear that the use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable – there are currently more than 51,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the UK taxpayer £6 million a day.

“The Home Office is committed to making every effort to reduce hotel use and limit the burden on the taxpayer.”

A statement issued to the Herald reads: The Home Office does not comment on commercial arrangements for individual sites used for asylum accommodation. The current asylum system is under extreme pressure and costing the country £3 billion a year and rising, including around £6 million a day on hotel accommodation.

The 51,000 figure includes all asylum seekers in temporary accommodation, including hotels as well as initial accommodation.

We engage with local authorities as early as possible whenever sites are used for asylum accommodation and work to ensure arrangements are safe for hotel residents and local people.

We continue to ensure the accommodation provided is safe, secure, leaves no one destitute and is appropriate for an individual’s needs.

When invited to comment Brightstar’s managing director David Reading said: “We’ve got nothing to add.”

A spokesperson for Stratford District Council said: “All enquiries on asylum seekers have to go through Warwickshire County Council, even if they are in Stratford District.”

When the Herald asked Warwickshire County Council for more precise details about the number of asylum seekers, where they came from and the adult to child ratio the council responded: ”Unfortunately, we wouldn’t be able to provide data of that detail given the sensitive nature of the information. This kind of request needs to be submitted asa Freedom of Information request which can take up to 20 days.”