Herefordshire Council has been informed by the Home Office that they plan to use the Three Counties Hotel in Hereford as accommodation for people awaiting the outcome of their asylum applications, starting from 13 March 2023.
This is a private arrangement between the Home Office and the hotel, which is closing to the public.
The council was not involved in this arrangement and will not be involved in running the site or providing day-to-day support, all of which will be managed by the Home Office’s contractor, Serco.
However, the council will be working closely with Serco, local partners and the community and voluntary sector to ensure appropriate help and wellbeing support is in place for those coming to the county and to respond to any matters raised by businesses and residents.
Asylum seekers will be accommodated on a full-board basis within the property. There will be support on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, along with security staff, and this is all being funded by the Home Office.
Herefordshire has a proud history of welcoming and supporting refugees and asylum seekers. Over the past year we have seen the generous support extended to Ukrainian refugees and the compassion shown by local communities to those in need and it is hoped that asylum seekers coming to Herefordshire will receive the same warm welcome.
You can view responses to some of the frequently asked questions. We will continue to update these responses as more information becomes available.
