Channel migrants refusing to share hotel rooms are being ‘unreasonable’, says Robert Jenrick
CHANNEL migrants refusing to share hotel rooms are being “unreasonable,” the Borders Minister has said.
Robert Jenrick warned small boat arrivals “risk cannibalising the compassion” of the British public.
The row comes as Government projections showed a £3-6billion cost for housing asylum-seekers in new camps, hotels and deportations over the next two years.
Last week around 40 migrants housed at the £150-a-night Comfort Inn in Pimlico, central London, camped outside the hotel in protest at being housed four to a room.
But Mr Jenrick hit back: “These migrants, who had themselves said that they were destitute, they had nowhere to stay, we had offered them a safe bed with board and lodgings in a good quality hotel in central London.
“Yes, some of them had to share with other people — these are single, adult males, I don’t think that’s unreasonable.”
He told the BBC: “Some people said that wasn’t good enough and they wanted their own ensuite bedrooms and the Home Office took the perfectly reasonable view that we’ve got to look after the taxpayer here. If you’re genuinely destitute of course you’d accept that.”
PM Rishi Sunak will visit border officials in Kent today ahead of an update on his progress in his vow to “stop the boats” by the next election.
He will hail a new returns deal signed last week with Moldova but will insist that there is much more to be done to meet his pledge.