Julia Lopez MP asks new Home Secretary for clarity on use of Havering’s hotel as social media rumours circulate.

Hornchurch & Upminster MP, Julia Lopez, has tabled a parliamentary question to the new Home Secretary – asking whether hotels in Havering have been commissioned to house asylum seekers under the new Labour government. 

Her question follows emails to the local MP from residents worried by social media rumours circulating in Havering about local hotels being used to house asylum seekers. 

During the last Parliament, Conservative Immigration Minister, Tom Pursglove, confirmed that no hotels were being planned for such a use in the Hornchurch & Upminster constituency, including the Palms Hotel on the A127. Speculation online had been rife that the Palms Hotel on the A127 was being renovated for that purpose, though it has since opened as a beautiful new place to stay and host special occasions. 

Lopez has now sought similar assurances from the new Labour Government. The Home Office have since confirmed that no such accommodation has been commissioned in Havering since July. Commenting on the answer she received, the local MP said, ‘I am pleased to get a swift answer on this issue from the Home Office, particularly given heightened tensions on these issues over the summer. However, my team and I will be actively monitoring this situation to make sure that residents have the facts rather than speculation.’  

In her written question, Mrs Lopez asked:  

“To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has commissioned the use of any hotel accommodation in the London Borough of Havering for the purpose of housing asylum seekers since 5 July 2024.” 

Responding on behalf of the Home Office, the new Immigration Minister, Dame Angela Eagle MP replied: 

“No new hotels have been commissioned to accommodate asylum seekers in the London Borough of Havering in this period. 

“The Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, and fairly. This includes our accommodation sites, as we continue to identify a range of options to end the use of hotels to accommodate destitute asylum seekers.”