Council leader confirms arrival of asylum seekers in Oldham

Oldham Council leader Cllr Arooj Shah

Oldham Council Leader, Cllr Arooj Shah has confirmed that asylum seekers have arrived for temporary accommodation in the town.

Cllr Shah has joined engagement teams in the area close to the hotel to speak to local residents to answer questions and hear any queries.

In a statement, Cllr Shah thanked residents for their "patience and understanding" and what will be a "worrying and confusing time for our new arrivals."

She added "I know that Oldhamers will be kind and support these people, many of whom will not understand English and who may have had a very difficult experience before arriving here.

"Oldham has a proud history of welcoming people of all nationalities, and we are ready and willing to play our part in helping these vulnerable people who have been through so much. That said, we as a council do not have a choice in how many asylum seekers we accommodate here.

What is the difference between an asylum seeker, a migrant, a refugee and an 'illegal immigrant'?

"When planning how and where to accommodate asylum seekers, hotels make a commercial decision in liaison with regional providers, which in the North West is Serco. Serco then produces a list of hotels for the Home Office, which then informs councils which hotels are to be used. The council is not part of the decision-making process for emergency asylum placements.

"As a council, we do not receive any funding for the asylum seekers we accommodate in the borough; although the local NHS does receive some funding to enable people to receive healthcare.

"We know Oldhamers will have questions about our new arrivals, and that’s why we knocked on more than 500 doors over the weekend to hear people’s queries and share the information we have. We also now have a list of FAQs on our website which explains how the system works.

"Meanwhile, we have been inundated with enquiries from people asking how they can help our new arrivals, particularly in the run up to Christmas. The best way to add your help and support is by making a donation through the Greater Manchester Migrant Destitution Fund, which is online here.”

Earlier this week, the Chronicle revealed that all bookings had been cancelled at the hotel, including the wedding celebrations of Lucy Smith and Dave Mac.  

All those who have had bookings cancelled at the hotel will receive full refunds.

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