Up to 30 asylum seekers were allegedly left to sleep on the streets of Whitechapel after refusing inadequate accommodation offered by the Home Office. According to a
charity worker present at the scene, the group arrived at a hostel in Whitechapel at 9 pm, where they were informed that they would have to share single rooms with four people, without beds or bedding. Instead of accepting the unsuitable conditions, they opted to sleep outside the hostel, including a young child. The group had been relocated from a hotel in Ilford.
Photographs showed makeshift beds made of cardboard on the street, surrounded by luggage. Some of the asylum seekers staged a "protest" outside the hostel on Thursday afternoon, resulting in police being called to the scene.
Abdi Hassan, the founder of Coffee Afrik, an outreach charity in east London, described the situation: "Some of them entered [the property], but a group of them didn’t, because they were being asked to share single rooms with four other people. Some of the rooms didn’t have beds or bedding... There was no provision for those that decided to sleep outside the hostel, including a child who’s no older than three."
Hassan criticized the lack of support and provision for the asylum seekers, emphasizing the dire state of the country's asylum system. A spokesperson from the Home Office declined to comment on the specific case but stated that accommodations were offered on a "no choice" basis and met all legal requirements.
Following some changes made by officials, several of the asylum seekers accepted the accommodation on Thursday, although some remained outside the hostel. Tower Hamlets Council confirmed that by Thursday night, all the asylum seekers had moved into the hostel. The council expressed its commitment to ensuring the residents' safety and providing support. The Metropolitan Police confirmed their attendance at the hostel but reported no serious disturbances or arrests.
The incident highlights the challenges faced by asylum seekers and the need for improved accommodations and support systems within the UK asylum process. Photo by Steve Cadman, Wikimedia commons.