The Labour politician spoke on the issue as protests were held across the country after Epping Forest District Council secured a temporary injunction to stop migrants from being housed in a local hotel.
The injunction, which was granted in August, was later overturned by the Court of Appeal, but sparked fears from the Home Office that other councils would follow suit.
In Basingstoke, the former leader of the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Cllr Simon Minas-Bound, wrote to the Gazette to express frustration at the ruling after he said the council was previously advised ‘that an injunction would not be possible’.
He added: “This raises serious questions about why Basingstoke was advised that such action could not be taken.”
The Crowne Plaza, in Old Common Road, has been used to house those seeking asylum since late 2021, the Gazette understands.
Small protests, with fewer than 10 attendees, have been held at the hotel calling for asylum seekers to be moved out of the building.
MP Luke Murphy praised Basingstoke for being a ‘welcoming’ place that he was proud to call home, but said that it’s ‘absolutely right’ that hotels housing those seeking asylum are shut down, calling them a ‘waste of taxpayer money’.
He added: “The last Tory government left the asylum system in chaos, forcing a reliance on costly hotels, including in towns like Basingstoke.
“Labour is fixing that mess – we’ve nearly halved hotel use and are committed to ending their use here in Basingstoke and across Britain. We’ve cut the costs in the asylum system by almost £1 billion, and removed 35,000 people with no right to be here.
“Our plan is to build a fair, humane, and controlled immigration system. It must deliver swift decisions so those few with the right to stay can rebuild their lives and contribute to our great country, and those without are returned quickly.
“I am proud to call Basingstoke home. This is a welcoming town that has rightly done its part in taking in asylum seekers, including refugee families from Ukraine fleeing the invasion of their home by Russia, but it’s absolutely right that the Tory waste of taxpayer money being spent on hotels is ended here as soon as possible.”