More than 200 asylum seekers moved out of Milton Keynes hotel following residents' protests

Many people in Newport Pagnell, together with their Labour MP Chris Curtis, were furious when the Ramada hotel at the town’s motorway service station suddenly filled up with asylum seekers late last year.

They reported “large groups of males” spotted walking from it and complained they felt unsafe and unhappy about the total lack of consulation beforehand from the Home Office.

But others stuck up for the asylum seekers, pointing out that they needed somewhere to stay while awaiting assessment - and accusing residents of being being xenophobic about the influx of people from other countries.

Today (Thursday) MP Chris Curtis announced that the asylum seekers had all left the Ramada.

He said: “I want to confirm that the Ramada is now closed as asylum accommodation and will be re-opening for bookings from the 12th March. I have maintained throughout that this was not an appropriate location and am grateful it will be closing after a lot of back and forth.”

The hotel, which is at the northbound services, had been the subject of an “urgent” deal with the Home Office and Mr Curtis objected strongly as soon as he found out.

It was only ever expected to be a short-term measure, for around three months, due to the new government’s accelerated processing efforts.

However, it was the second time Newport Pagnell has been chosen as a suitable place for mass asylum seeker accommodation.

In 2023 a 140-bed hotel at the other end of town, Harben House in Tickford Street, was chosen by the Home Office to take in up to 200 asylum seekers under a multi-million pound government contract.

but problems began immediately when the Citizen revealed the hotel’s owner had previous convictions and a prison sentence for offences, including perverting the course of justice and forging documents. This resulted in the contract being terminated.

Currently Harben House is being used by Milton Keynes City Council as temporary accommodation for homeless people, mainly single mums with children.