Latest news with #StayBelvedereHotels
The Irish Sun
24-04-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Fury as hotel firm housing asylum seekers in ‘all-inclusive resorts' paid £700M a year of YOUR money
A HOTEL firm housing asylum seekers raked in £700million a year in taxpayers' cash. Stay Belvedere Hotels Ltd, which runs 51 UK sites, has been a big winner from the boats crisis. Crossings stand at 9,638 already this year. Advertisement 7 Stay Belvedere Hotels runs this Ibis for asylum seekers 7 A whistleblower said the hotel, which has table football on offer, is the 'same level as a four-star all-inclusive' Credit: Darren Fletcher 7 Fitness classes are on offer at the hotel Credit: Darren Fletcher Labour has pledged to close the hotels and 'save billions'. Providing rooms for asylum seekers costs £5.5million a day, with 38,000 people housed in around 210 sites. Shadow Home Secretary "So far 2025 has been the worst year ever for migrants crossing the Channel, who invariably end up in taxpayer-funded hotels or flats. Advertisement READ MORE ON MIGRANT CRISIS 'They should be in Rwanda but Labour cancelled that scheme before it started.' 'Loss of control' A Labour source hit back: 'Tories let the accommodation system spiral out of control, with 400 hotels costing £8million a day at its peak. 'We have made changes to save the taxpayer billions and are committed to exiting asylum hotels altogether.' One of Stay Belvedere's asylum seeker hotels has been likened to an all-inclusive resort for offering entertainers, fitness classes, guitar lessons and fresh meals. Advertisement Most read in The Sun The Ibis Budget in Bishop's Stortford, Herts, is one of around 210 hotels housing 38,000 asylum seekers at a cost of £5.5million a day. The mostly-male population can choose from a timetable of activities including singing and cookery classes. English lessons are provided along with a support service for immigration cases. Windows smashed at migrant hotel as UK braces for another night of violence A twice-daily free bus ferries them to town where they spend their £8-a-head weekly allowance — also funded by taxpayers. Children are entertained by the visiting Buffy Playbus, a charitable organisation funded by donations. Advertisement A whistleblower told The Sun: 'It is a very well-run hotel with loads on offer. It's basically at the same level as the four-star all-inclusive I went to on holiday last year. 'They get three fresh meals a day included. Fresh fruit is available around the clock. 7 Fresh meals are on offer, with some likening the hotel to an 'all-inclusive resort' Credit: Darren Fletcher 7 The mostly-male population can choose from a timetable of activities Credit: Darren Fletcher Advertisement 'I don't begrudge the kids getting the help and the residents are generally polite. But it does make you wonder will they ever want to leave? "They all have phones and I imagine they send pictures to their mates saying, 'Come over here!' ' Stay Belvedere Hotels, which runs the Ibis, recently had its Government contract ended for 51 UK hotels they operate, because their behaviour 'fell short of expectations'. These migrants shouldn't be getting cooking lessons in hotels — they should have been sent to Rwanda. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip Their deal — part of a £2billion contract for accommodation — will now end in September 2026. Advertisement Asked about the daily running of the Ibis Budget and the activity timetable, a spokesperson would say only: 'SBHL has provided a consistent bus service, which has been well-received by guests.' The Home Office says there are fewer asylum hotels open than when Labour came to power in July — when 213 were in use. More are set to be closed, but 206 are still expected to be in operation by the end of next month. Ending their use was a key election pledge from Labour, a task they said would be 'saving the taxpayer billions'. Advertisement He added: 'These migrants shouldn't be getting cooking lessons in hotels — they should have been sent to Rwanda.' Demand for the migrant-housing hotels is unlikely to be stemmed any time soon, with 2025 crossings on track to break records. 7 Children are entertained by the visiting Buffy Playbus Credit: Chris Eades Advertisement 7 The 70-room Ibis, close to Stansted, is believed to have last been open to the public in 2021 Credit: Darren Fletcher Some 9,638 have crossed in small boats this year — 45 per cent more than this time last year. Home Office data released last month revealed that about 10,000 people who arrived in the UK with a visa, such as for study or work, were now being provided with taxpayer-funded asylum digs. The figure raised concerns that migrants who could financially support themselves — a fact they would have had to declare to get a visa — are still being given free stays. Advertisement To access asylum support, claimants have to tick a box saying they would otherwise be destitute. People are unable to work while asylum claims are being processed. The Home Office said they will start reviewing the finances of residents staying in hotels from May. Labour has blamed the Tory government for allowing a backlog of unprocessed claims to build up. The latest data shows that at the end of the year, 41,987 people were waiting for a decision on their asylum applications. Advertisement Mr Philp highlighted that 8,000 more immigrants were in hotels since the election. It's an insult to the taxpayer to discover that all the extra taxes Starmer has imposed are being squandered on accommodating illegal immigrants Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip He added: 'It's an insult to the taxpayer to discover that all the extra taxes A Labour source hit back: 'The Tories let the asylum system spiral out of control, with 400 hotels costing £8million a day at its peak. 'We have already made changes to save the taxpayer billions on the asylum system and are committed to exiting asylum hotels altogether.' Advertisement The 70-room Ibis, close to Stansted, is believed to have last been open to the public in 2021. A villager in nearby Birchanger said they were baffled by the arrival of the asylum seekers. They said: 'It's a quaint location and they're plonked in the middle of the countryside. We see them walking around and getting on the bus. They keep to themselves.' A mile down the road, the £140-a-night Great Hallingbury Manor has reopened to the public after we revealed how in November 2022 it had been closed to house 50 male asylum seekers. Advertisement Latest accounts for Stay Belvedere Hotels show that in the year to September 2022 the company had a turnover of £704.6million, making a pre-tax profit of £62.6million. The majority of SBHL's business is believed to be their Government contracts for asylum hotels. 'Begun to restore order' The 2022 accounts say the business was reliant on a single agency agreement. It is run by Safwan Adam, 37, a Lib Dem donor, and Bassam Gilini, 37, a property tycoon. SBHL was removed as a government contractor last month but is still operating for now. Advertisement 'We have made the decision to remove Stay Belvedere Hotels from the supply chain and will not hesitate to take further action to ensure Home Office contracts deliver.' SBHL did not respond to requests about their earnings. The Home Office said last night: 'In autumn 2023, there were more than 400 asylum hotels in use at a cost of almost £9million a day. Advertisement In the months before the election, the asylum backlog soared again as decision-making collapsed, placing the entire asylum system under unprecedented strain. 'That was the situation the Government inherited but we have begun to restore order, with a rapid increase in asylum decision-making and the removal of over 24,000 people with no right to remain. 'The Home Office does not fund activities for those in asylum hotels. 'These may be provided by voluntary organisations. Advertisement 'This hotel is currently being transitioned to a new provider.' 'DEPORT' VOW By Noa Hoffman NIGEL Farage yesterday pledged to create a Minister of Deportations — and slammed multiculturalism as a failed experiment in modern Britain. The Reform UK leader demanded a Home Office unit dedicated to the removal of illegal migrants, and a minister put in charge to make someone accountable. Speaking in Dover ahead of local elections, Mr Farage, right, said: 'What I'm calling for isn't actually anything particularly radical. It's actually just common sense.' He also warned of sectarian strife caused by both illegal and legal migrants refusing to integrate, pointing to four MPs elected on a pro-Gaza ticket. He added: 'Encouraging difference was a mistake. we should encourage a sense of togetherness.'
The Independent
25-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Firm behind Bibby Stockholm to take over running of migrant hotels after contractor replaced
A company running dozens of asylum hotels will have its contract ended by the Home Office and be replaced in part by the firm behind the beleaguered Bibby Stockholm barge. Stay Belvedere Hotels (SBHL) is responsible for running 51 hotels for asylum seekers waiting on their decisions in England and Wales. The company also runs Napier Barracks in Folkestone, Kent, which is due to close and be returned to the Ministry of Defence in September. The Home Office said on Tuesday that it would remove SBHL from government operations following an examination of its contract, which found 'concerns about its performance and behaviour as a government supplier'. The contract, which was awarded in 2019, will end at the earliest opportunity in September 2026. The management of the hotels will be taken over by accommodation providers Mears, Serco and Corporate Travel Management (CTM). CTM is an Australian travel firm that was previously awarded a contract to provide asylum ships and other accommodation, which covered the Bibby Stockholm barge. Labour decided in July last year to close down the Bibby Stockholm and announced it would not renew its contract beyond January 2025 in a push to make savings. The controversial barge, which was based in Portland in Dorset, was used to house asylum seekers from 2023-2024. Asylum seekers had to be temporarily moved off the barge when legionella bacteria was discovered in the water. An asylum seeker, Leonard Farruku, also took his own life on the barge in 2023, and other residents warned the site was unsafe and overcrowded. As of last October, there were 220 asylum hotels in use by the Home Office. Minister for border security and asylum, Angela Eagle, said: "Since July, we have improved contract management and added more oversight of our suppliers of asylum accommodation. "We have made the decision to remove Stay Belvedere Hotels from the Home Office supply chain and will not hesitate to take further action to ensure Home Office contracts deliver for the UK." The Home Office, which is committed to ending the use of asylum hotels, said it was working to "put robust plans in place" to minimise disruption. Speaking to broadcasters on Tuesday morning, housing minister Matthew Pennycook said he would not provide "the specifics" of the Home Office's decision to cancel the company's contract, saying "operational details are being worked out". Asked whether the government would get money back if the company had failed in its duty, he said: "The whole purpose of reviewing asylum contracts is to improve the management of them to guarantee value for money for the taxpayer... the operational details are being worked out. "I'll leave it to Home Office ministers to come back with the finer points of detail on the decision they've made, but work is underway to ensure the asylum services continue to operate as normal, to deal with the management problems." He added: "We did need to review these disastrous contracts on asylum accommodation we inherited. We're doing so to improve management and guarantee value for money for the taxpayer." When pushed on Times Radio, Mr Pennycook said he was unable to give a date for when hotel use for asylum seekers would end. The Home Office has previously said that hotels will be used for at least four more years. Government data from December 2024 shows that there were 38,079 asylum seekers in hotel accommodation, and over 70,000 in other forms of accommodation such as temporary homes or large sites. On their website, SBHL describe themselves as a 'leading provider' of temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. They say staff 'strive every day to ensure each guest is welcomed, supported and serviced in a way that connects them with communities, is sensitive to their culture and delivers an experience that is both compassionate and caring'. A spokesperson for SBHL said: "SBHL has been informed of the decision to end its contract to supply temporary accommodation to asylum seekers in the UK and is in the process of holding discussions with appropriate partners."
The Guardian
25-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Bibby Stockholm contractor to replace Home Office's asylum hotel provider
A company managing hotel accommodation for thousands of asylum seekers has been axed by the Home Office due to performance concerns and replaced by the firm that ran the Bibby Stockholm barge. As a result the 51 hotels it runs will close. In a late night statement the Home Office said it had removed Stay Belvedere Hotels (SBHL), which manages 51 hotels across England and Wales and Napier Barracks in Folkestone, Kent, from government asylum operations. The Home Office confirmed last week that Napier barracks will close in September. It is not known when the 51 hotels will close. Asylum seekers in those hotels will be moved into existing accommodation rather than opening new ones. Australia-based Corporate Travel Management (CTM) which was criticised for its running of the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset, is coming on board barge cost more than housing people in hotels. This is the first time Home Office has axed a major provider in its 10 years of outsourcing asylum accommodation contracts worth £2bn a year. SBHL is a sub-contractor of Clearsprings Ready Homes, one of three companies that have contracts with the Home Office to provide accommodation for asylum seekers. The firm has been approached for comment. Home Office sources confirmed that officials told their contractor Clearsprings to terminate the services of its sub-contractor SBHL. In February 2021 a joint investigation by the Observer and ITV revealed that there were allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation in accommodation run by SBHL along with claims that staff were paid below the minimum wage. Many of the staff currently working at Napier barracks, which is due to close in September and will be handed back to the Ministry of Defence are employed by SBHL. The Home Office said the decision to cancel its contract with SBHL was prompted by concerns about its performance and behaviour as a government supplier but did provided any more detail about its concerns. There will be a transition period to new arrangements but the timescale for this is not known. The contract for managing SBHL's hotels will be transferred to existing providers Mears and Serco along with CTM. Most of the hotels are in London but there are also hotels in Bournemouth, Eastbourne and Folkestone. Angela Eagle, the minister for border security and asylum, said: 'Since July, we have improved contract management and added more oversight of our suppliers of asylum accommodation. 'We have made the decision to remove Stay Belvedere Hotels from the Home Office supply chain and will not hesitate to take further action to ensure Home Office contracts deliver for the UK.' A document published by the Treasury's new Office for Value for Money (OVfM) states that companies that have been contracted to find hotels for migrants have 'made record profits in recent years, leading to accusations of profiteering'. There are more than 38,000 asylum seekers in hotels, costing the Home Office £5.5m a day. A total of 5,847 migrants have arrived so far this year, up by 36% on last year. Sally Hough, the director of Napier Drop-In Centre, which provides support for asylum seekers, said: 'When the camp first opened it was clear that the site was in chaos and no one had the experience to run a mass accommodation site for 500 people. They were making it up as they went along. This culminated in the catastrophic mismanagement of Covidsafety protocols leading to a mass outbreak of 197 Covid cases.' Tim Naor Hilton, chief executive of Refugee Action, said: 'Handing over contracts with Stay Belvedere Hotels to the company that managed the Bibby Stockholm barge begs the question whether there will be any positive change. 'Instead of this damaging plaster, the government must work towards ending all privately contracted accommodation.' It must properly fund and support local authorities to house people in our communities, so every penny of this public money is spent on protecting refugees and strengthening services that all of us rely on.' Parliament's cross-party home affairs committee is conducting an inquiry into the provision of asylum accommodation. More than 100 pieces of evidence from NGOs, lawyers and accommodation providers themselves have been published, the majority of them highly critical of the current state of this accommodation.
The Guardian
25-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Firm paid to house migrants in hotels loses Home Office contract over ‘performance and behaviour'
Good morning. There are many reasons why people object to tens of thousands of asylum seekers being housed for long periods in hotels and other temporary accommodation, but one is the perception that this is enabling a small number of firms to make huge profits at public expense for providing what is often a miserable service. This morning we learned that the Home Office is doing something about this. It has removed the contract for this work from Stay Belvedere Hotels (SBHL), blaming 'concerns about its performance and behaviour as a government supplier'. In a news release issued just after midnight, it says: The Home Office has taken action to remove Stay Belvedere Hotels (SBHL) from government operations. SBHL, which is responsible for the running of 51 hotels in England and Wales and Napier Barracks housing people waiting for asylum decisions, is being removed following examination of its contract and contractual arrangements with the Home Office, including concerns about its performance and behaviour as a government supplier. The safety and security of people working and staying in temporary accommodation is a government priority, together with ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. The Home Office has been working carefully over the past weeks to put robust plans in place to ensure asylum services continue operating as normal during this transition with as little disruption to asylum seekers and staff as possible. And Angela Eagle, the minister for border security and asylum, said: Since July, we have improved contract management and added more oversight of our suppliers of asylum accommodation. We have made the decision to remove Stay Belvedere Hotels from the Home Office supply chain and will not hesitate to take further action to ensure Home Office contracts deliver for the UK. The Home Office confirmed the news after the Times published a report by Matt Dathan about SBHL losing the contract. Dathan says: Sources said it was one of the worst examples of companies that were exploiting the asylum crisis to make a profit. SBHL's latest published accounts show it made a record profit of more than £50m … [The move] comes after the Treasury ordered the Home Office to find cheaper providers and to prevent private companies 'profiteering' from the asylum crisis. In a document published by the Treasury's new Office for Value for Money (OVfM) it says companies that have been contracted to find hotels for migrants have 'made record profits in recent years, leading to accusations of profiteering' … With more than 38,000 migrants in hotels, it is costing the Home Office £5.5m per day. Dathan says one of the companies that will take over these hotel contracts is Corporate Travel Management, the firm that ran the Bibby Stockholm barge when it was used to house asylum seekers. The government is more keen to talk about something else – a Treasury announcement about a £2bn investment in social and affordable housing. As Jessica Elgot and Richard Partington report, the announcement comes a day before the spring statement, at a time when Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, is anxious to persuade MPs that there is more to the government's programme than just spending cuts. They report: One Whitehall source said the social housing announcement and the £600m in investment on construction skills announced over the weekend were attempts to 'sweeten the pill' ahead of Wednesday by bringing forward plans from the spending review. The £2bn will effectively bridge the gap between the current affordable homes spending due to expire in 2026 and the next funding settlement which will come in the spending review in June when a successor programme is expected to be announced. Here is the agenda for the day. 11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing. 11.30am: Wes Streeting, health secretary, takes questions in the Commons. After 12.30pm: MPs consider Lords amendments to three bills, including the GB Energy bill. If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line or message me on social media. I can't read all the messages BTL, but if you put 'Andrew' in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word. If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary. I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can't promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog. Share
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK Government drops asylum hotel provider over concerns of company's 'behaviour'
THE Home Office is ending a company's contract to provide accommodation for asylum seekers. Stay Belvedere Hotels (SBHL) houses people waiting for asylum decisions in 51 hotels in England and Wales, as well as the Napier Barracks in Folkestone, Kent, which is due to close and be returned to the Ministry of Defence in September. A statement from the Home Office said the contract, which was awarded in 2019, will end at the earliest opportunity in September 2026 after a review of all contracts to provide asylum accommodation. READ MORE: Donald Trump and Elon Musk mock American magazine over war text leak The review raised concerns about the company's performance and behaviour, according to the statement, which said the safety and security of people staying and working in temporary accommodation was a government priority, as well as ensuring value for money. Minister for border security and asylum Angela Eagle said: 'Since July, we have improved contract management and added more oversight of our suppliers of asylum accommodation. 'We have made the decision to remove Stay Belvedere Hotels from the Home Office supply chain and will not hesitate to take further action to ensure Home Office contracts deliver for the UK.' The Home Office, which is committed to ending the use of asylum hotels, said it was working to 'put robust plans in place' to minimise disruption.
