Debate to be held over Wirral Council’s approach to asylum seekers

FRESH calls could soon be made by Wirral Council urging the government to stop using a hotel to house asylum seekers.

Councillors are set to debate the local authority’s approach to support for asylum seekers at a full council meeting next week on October 13. This follows protests and tensions within the community of Hoylake over the use of the town’s former Holiday Inn Express to house male asylum seekers.

The hotel has previously been used for this purpose and more recently used to house families. Wirral Council has been reviewing whether planning permission needs to be sought going forward and some councillors want legal action to be taken.

Wirral Council’s Labour leader, Cllr Paula Basnett, has also criticised the plans. She said people “have expressed clear opposition” to the housing of asylum seekers at the hotel and have asked the government to listen “as a matter of urgency”.

Now two motions have been put forward by the borough’s Conservatives and the Green Party on the issue of asylum seekers. The Conservatives are raising concerns about the Home Office’s use of the hotel while the Greens want the council to deliver on a commitment to become a borough of sanctuary.

Conservative leader Cllr Jeff Green, alongside Cllr Max Booth, have said the UK “has a proud history of welcoming those fleeing war and terror” pointing to support for those fleeing Ukraine. However, they have raised concerns about 2025 being “the worst year ever for small boat crossings” despite promises by their party and Labour to crack down on illegal migration.

The Conservatives are calling for local communities to be properly consulted before decisions are made and criticised the use of local hotels as long-term accommodation. The opposition party also said they welcomed comments by Cllr Basnett calling on the Home Office to change course.

They have asked all councillors to request Cllr Basnett write to the government alongside party leaders “expressing council’s concerns about the use of hotels in our area for single, male, migrant accommodation and to request full consultation with this council on any future decisions”. They also want clarification whether planning permission is needed for this.

However, the Greens want councillors to support a previous pledge by the council in 2021 to become a recognised borough of sanctuary, a national network of councils. They said the pledge still needed to be delivered.

They point to data showing 1,290 people are seeking asylum in Wirral. This includes 43 through the Afghan settlement scheme, 530 from Ukraine, and 717 in supported asylum accommodation representing 0.39% of the Wirral population.

The Greens want the council to recognise “people seeking sanctuary bring skills, experience, and perspectives that enrich Wirral — contributing through school and community life and, for those able to work, through employment in the local economy,” adding: “Council takes pride in supporting the 1,290 people seeking sanctuary in Wirral and reaffirms our pledge of four years ago, grounded in compassion, fairness, and respect.”

The Green motion also praises the work of community organisations, charities, and local faith groups “recognising this as part of Wirral’s longstanding heritage as a place of welcome”. They want a report to be brought before councillors within six months setting out immediate and long-term actions.

Two other motions have been put forward by Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Cllr Basnett, and her Labour deputy Cllr Julie McManus, are calling for councillors to support the Hillsborough Law which has been laid in Parliament.

They call for the council to recognise “the principles underpinning the Hillsborough Law are essential not only to the legacy of those who lost their lives at Hillsborough, but also to restoring and protecting trust between communities and public institutions”. The leaders want the government to pass the law without delay.

The borough’s Liberal Democrats have also put forward a motion criticising the number of people dying in poverty. They said Marie Curie research shows 22% of Wirral people in the final year of life are dying in fuel poverty.