Asylum seekers have been removed from the Banbury House Hotel following anger from some residents over the use of the building as migrant accommodation.
The hotel in Banbury had been housing small-boat asylum seekers since 2022 while their claims were processed.
Local business owner James Douglas, 44, expressed concerns about the impact on the town, emphasizing the community’s feelings about the housing arrangement.
“Banbury was not the right place to house migrants… There has been a marked drop in tourist footfall.”
Former soldier Tom Reck, 76, said parts of the town felt “unsafe”.
“A bit frightening even in the daytime with men drinking and shouting,” he told reporters.
Occupants were informed of the move as part of government plans to close all asylum hotels by 2029, aiming to ensure clarity and transparency in the process.
The policy, backed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government, aims to replace hotel housing with alternative accommodation, including possible use of military sites to cut costs.
The move is part of a wider strategy led by the UK Home Office to end long-term reliance on temporary migrant hotel housing, with specific criteria for dispersal locations to be communicated to address safety concerns.
The asylum seekers were dispersed to various locations after leaving the site on February 18, as part of the government’s broader dispersal strategy.
Sean Woodcock, Labour MP for Banbury, said: “I am pleased that The Banbury House Hotel has stopped hosting asylum seekers as of this week, as the government’s commitments to reduce the costs of accommodation for asylum seekers is being seen in our local area.”
He added, “[Hotels] are not suitable for claimants as long term accommodation and it causes a significant strain on the public finances.
“Reducing the burden on taxpayers in our community by relocating individuals and families to cheaper alternative accommodation marks a positive step forward in ending the excessive asylum spending and major strain in the system left behind by the previous government.”
