- Home Office data shows more than 3,000 children living in hotels in London,
- Of those, 64 have been living in hotels for more than two years
- BBC London went to speak to two parents living in a west London hotel
- The Conservative Party says it has a clear plan to stop small boat crossings
It is being called the “immigration election” as parties across the political spectrum fight key battlegrounds on promises of tackling migration issues.
In London, thousands of asylum-seekers, fleeing war and persecution in other countries, are waiting for decisions on their asylum cases from the Home Office.
BBC London can reveal 3,045 accompanied asylum-seeking children are currently living in hotels in the capital, according to Home Office data revealed in a freedom of information (FOI) request. Of those, 64 have been living in hotels for more two years.
The Conservative Party said on behalf of the Home Office, in response to the findings, that it had a clear plan in place to “stop the boats”. Labour said it would hire more than 1,000 new caseworkers to speed up asylum claims while the Liberal Democrats said they would establish a new dedicated asylum unit.