MP confirms landmark Cannock hotel housing asylum seekers will be 'cleared' within months

The landmark 12-storey hotel has been housing asylum seekers for two years due to the huge backlog of processing claims by the Home Office.

The hotel's use as accommodation for at least 200 residents, from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran and elsewhere, became a touchstone issue for residents with anti-immigration views.

Protests last January created national headlines with right-wing organisation Patriotic Alternative joining demonstrations in the town, which then attracted anti-fascist counter protestors.

However, Conservative MP Dame Milling announced today the Home Office would not be using the hotel for those waiting for their asylum status to be resolved.

She said: “I am very pleased to confirm that the Holiday Inn in Cannock will no longer be used to accommodate asylum seekers, with the site being cleared in full by the end of April. This follows the news last year that the Roman Way Hotel is already being cleared.

"This is very welcome news as I know that many residents were unhappy with the situation. Since local hotels had to be used for processing asylum seekers I made it clear to ministers that this is something residents objected to and more appropriate accommodation was required."

She added: "I have lobbied ministers numerous times, sharing residents’ feedback and views. I made sure they were clear that local people were against the Holiday Inn being used as asylum accommodation, and that the Government needs to focus on stopping the boats from crossing the Channel.

"I will continue to support the Prime Minister’s ongoing efforts to stop the boats crossing the Channel and I hope that both of these important local hotels are brought back into our visitor economy as quickly as possible."

The issue hit the headlines before Christmas when former Cannock footballer Stan Collymore penned a passionate defence of those in the hotel, blaming the town's ills on local politicians not asylum seekers.

Posting about rising crime in Cannock, Mr Collymore said: "We can't blame "them" because 97.4 per cent of Cannock people are white. But hey, it's the 200 people in hotels fault.

"Only a bigot could blame people seeking asylum for the woes of a town which decided that decades of Tory government would make their town healthy, happy and productive but instead has left it a shell of the vibrant town it was many years ago."

He added: "Blame yourself for once. Blame your vote. Blame yourself for giving liars, cheats, corrupt officials your thumbs up nationally."