Ipswich Novotel to stop housing asylum seekers by January

The minister for immigration Robert Jenrick has announced that the government has written to MPs and councils the government's plans to "exit" the first asylum hotels.

This will include Ipswich's Novotel which was taken over by the Home Office in October last year to house asylum seekers.

The decision proved controversial with Ipswich Borough Council seeking an injunction. 

Many within the Ipswich community have shown their support to those living at the hotel.

Novotel is set to return to its original use of a hotel (Image: Newsquest)

Ipswich MP, Tom Hunt, has been strongly against the use of the hotel for asylum seekers, and has raised the matter in Parliament.

Speaking on today's announcement by minister Robert Jenrick, he said: “I’m very pleased the Novotel is going back to being a hotel for the benefit of the Town.

Ipswich MP Tom Hunt (Image: House of Commons)

“Rightly this is something people in the town have felt incredibly strong about. It’s also something I’ve felt very strongly about.

“The Minister Robert Jenrick wasn’t around when the decision was made on the Novotel and he’s worked very hard to ensure it returns to its proper use.

“I hope that very soon the planes will be ready to transport many of those at the Novotel to Rwanda.

“All those Ipswich residents who were pressured into redundancy should be offered their jobs again on better terms than before.”

Minister Robert Jenrick announced the news in the House of Commons today (Image: PA)

The announcement was made by Minister Robert Jenrick, the minister for immigration, in the House of Commons on October 24.

He stated: "I can inform the House that today the Home Office wrote to local authorities and MPs to inform them that we will now be exiting the first asylum hotels.

"The first 50 of these exits will begin in the coming days, and will be complete by the end of January, with more to follow shortly."