No rise in crime in Wolverhampton with arrival of asylum seekers - police
Police say there has been no increase in crime or anti-social behaviour since asylum seekers moved into a city hotel.
Around 200 migrants, consisting of families with children, moved into the Britannia Hotel in Wolverhampton at the start of last month.
Wolverhampton Police Superintendent Simon Inglis said: "We have been working alongside the local authority, health and other key partners for several weeks ahead of the arrival of these families in the city – and that will continue for the duration of their stay.
“It’s important to stress that, contrary to some commentary, there are no single men at the hotel.
"The hotel is only housing families with children as part of the nationwide humanitarian effort.
"The families have been here now for five weeks and there have been no reported issues in or around the hotel and no increase in crime or anti-social behaviour."
The Home Office has been accused of ignoring pleas from councils after it emerged asylum seekers were being put up in the hotel.
Leaders in parts of the West Midlands including the Black Country and Birmingham say they are being expected to take in too many migrants as part of the asylum seeker dispersal programme.
Around 200 asylum seekers are currently being temporarily housed in the Britannia against the wishes of the city council, which raised concerns over safety and welfare.
Many of them are said to have arrived in the city with just the clothes on their backs.
It comes as pressure mounts on the Home Office to find accommodation to deal with the high number of migrants crossing the English Channel.
The contract for temporary accommodation for asylum seekers is run by Serco, which told Wolverhampton Council of its plans for the Britannia Hotel before moving families into the hotel five weeks ago.
Council leader Ian Brookfield branded the dispersal programme “unfair” and said the West Midlands Combined Authority area was getting “more than our fair share of asylum seekers”.
