Hotel wins appeal on asylum status

A Kent hotel has won its appeal against a ruling by Thanet District Council that it must not take in asylum seekers without changing its status to a hostel.

Environment Department inspector Anthony Dixon upheld the appeal by the Greek owners of the 77-bedroom Nayland Rock Hotel after a public inquiry. He judged that the Margate hotel had not changed its use to that of a hostel because it took in asylum seekers.

The present hotel company, which started trading in April last year, had argued that 22 hotel jobs depended on business from the asylum seekers.

According to Dixon, occupancy rates by asylum seekers have climbed from 50% last year to 77% in September this year, while occupancy by paying guests was small, peaking at 7% in July and 10% in August.

He said the hotel provided a high standard of accommodation with en-suite bathrooms in contrast to relatively basic and inexpensive hostel accommodation. These establishments, he said, tended to take in homeless people, including families, who were akin to permanent residents.

Nayland Rock, however, accommodated single asylum seekers without children who were sent from Islington Council on a spot booking arrangement, and from Dover Migrant Helpline. They stayed from between one to two weeks to just over a year.

Dixon said the asylum seekers appeared to be treated the same as hotel paying guests and stayed on full board with laundry service. No alterations had been made to the building specifically for them.

Thanet District Council said this week that it was considering an appeal against the inspector's decision. It has six weeks to enter a notice of appeal.

by Bob Hamilton

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 12-18 October 2000