Locals living in a lush Essex town have been left seething after a migrant hotel reopened.
A hotel in Epping will house asylum seekers yet again, as Labour reopened the accommodation site after the last Conservative Government closed it.
Two locals who live in the same street as the hotel, alleged that in May 2022, her car was booted by illegal migrants living at the site and that she and her family had been spat at.
A retired mum said she herself no longer feels safe to walk out of her front door, telling The Daily Express she feels “totally” trapped.
The former fire safety trainer, who asked to stay nameless for fear of “reprisals” from the hotel security staff, said: “My son was driving and I was next to him, and we came out [of the shared drive] and all of a sudden I felt a bump and they kicked our car.”
The 61-year-old, who lives near the 79-room hotel, added: “We were spat at a few times.”
When approached, the hotel’s security staff declined to reveal to The Daily Express whether asylum seekers were living there.
Nevertheless, both residents were adamant that the asylum seekers had come back to the hotel.
An elderly neighbour added: “I can’t even begin to tell you the sort of anxiety we felt at these people just around us all the time… [with] just a barrier between us and our drive.
“I admit I don’t come in after dark. I wouldn’t have thought twice about it [in the past].”
Meanwhile, Victor Wigzell, 74, claimed he witnessed asylum seekers from the hotel stealing from the local Boots store in early 2024.
He said: “I used to see them go into Boots the chemist there, and obviously they would grab the stuff and run out. I’ve seen it. I saw it happen. I was in Boots. I just thought, well, you’re trying to help these people, some of them probably do need help.”
Wigzell, a retired architectural model maker, added: “We don’t want it, we don’t need it, we shouldn’t have to suffer all that”.
Epping Forest MP Dr Neil Hudson also said: “When this hotel in Epping was being used in the past, I know that church groups and many residents provided crucial support for vulnerable people in the asylum system here, and that they continue to do so nearby. I want to thank them for all they do and continue to do.
“I have met with the Home Office about this decision and its implementation and sought assurances about the welfare of those being housed here, sought assurances for members of the local community with any concerns about this decision, and continue to urge the Government to work with local stakeholders and services to address this situation holistically, to provide support for all affected.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “In Autumn 2023, there were more than 400 asylum hotels in use across the UK at a cost of almost £9 million per day, and in the months before the election, the asylum backlog soared again as decision-making collapsed, placing the entire asylum system under unprecedented strain.
“That was the situation the government inherited, but we have begun to restore order, with a rapid increase in asylum decision-making and the removal of more than 24,000 people with no right to be in the UK.”
Our government are not going to send these migrants back. Keir Starmer keeps going on about ‘smashing the gangs’, but don’t be deceived, it’s all rubbish, and this is how he hopes he will remain in power – these people are his votes.
Why should taxpayers’ money be used to keep these migrants in hotels? It’s an insult. Perhaps we should all stop paying our council tax, you know, the money that’s given to these leeches. British people are not a majority anymore, we are a minority. I’m afraid the indigenous people are extremely low down on Labour’s checklist of importance.
Even though no one should have to tolerate these migrants, our government is keeping them here, and we are paying to do so.
Just lock your doors. Shops look out for the shoplifters and keep your children locked up. It’s called ‘Welcome to Britain.’
We don’t want migrants in our country! When will our government realise this. We don’t want these people and we don’t need them. Perhaps people should start giving up their jobs rather than paying for these migrants, then our government will have to find another way of making money to sustain these migrants he is bringing into this country.
Starmer needs to realise how much the people of the United Kingdom despise them.
Go to the official government website and type in ‘asylum.’ It tells you what you will get, almost £50 for every person in your household, and free NHS. Now type in ‘homeless’ and it will tell you to contact your local council. No surprise they all want to come here.
Our government is openly encouraging illegal immigrants and enticing them with offers of money, food, clothes, smartphones, homes, hotels, entertainment, free electric bikes, and driving lessons. What’s not to like?
Who is responsible for this? The Home Office, and it’s our taxpayer money that is financing this, and we, the people, have a right to transparency and who is responsible, and those who are responsible should quit hiding behind their desks.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 