Cargenholm House near Dumfries to home asylum seekers
The hotel will provide temporary accommodation for 61 male residents
Last updated 9th Nov 2023
A major change in purpose comes into force at a Dumfries Hotel from today, with 61 male asylum seekers moving into the building as temporary accommodation.
It’s understood the contract has been awarded by the Home Office to Mears, who are coordinating the effort at Mercure’s Cargenholm House Hotel, located in the outskirts of town.
It comes as part of wider asylum dispersal measures introduced to ensure asylum seekers are spread out equitably across the UK as their asylum claims are processed.
Speaking on behalf of the hotel, a spokesperson from Custard Communications said:
“As a company, we made a decision to support the government in this initiative by providing accommodation, and thus the hotel will be temporarily closed to other business as of the 13 August 2023.”
Both the new residents and wider community will be supported
It is understood that the local council was not involved in the decision making process, and that the choice was made by the home office. Regardless, they say they will endeavour to ensure support is offered to those living in the hotel, and in the local community.
A spokesperson for the home office said: “The pressure on the asylum system has continued to grow – there are currently more than 51,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the UK taxpayer £6 million a day.
“We are constantly working with our suppliers to make best use of available asylum accommodation to reduce the need for more hotels and deliver best value for money for the taxpayer.”
Following the decision to house the new residents at the four-star Cargenholm House, which opened in January after refurbishment thought to bring about an increase in local job creation, there has been some concern raised by locals online about the nature of the new contract.
Offering her reassurances, MSP Emma Harper says: “I have been given assurances that local community planning partners are visiting the adjacent properties to the hotel to provide them with the background information and clarity about the arrangements that Mears and the hotel have in place.
“24-7 security provision will be in operation at the hotel, and Police Scotland is also taking measures including regular visits to ensure the safety of everyone living in, living nearby, or visiting the hotel, and indeed the people of the wider Dumfries area.”