Asylum seekers who have endured “scary” and traumatic” experiences are settling into their new lives in west Cumbria after moving into a town centre hotel.


The Waverley Hotel in Whitehaven is housing the asylum seekers in a scheme between the new hotel owners and Serco, which provides accommodation for immigrants while their asylum is processed.

The hotel on Tangier Street had been family-run for the last 38 years but was sold last month and handed over to new owners, who are understood to be from Liverpool.

Between 29 and 34 asylum seekers are expected to have moved into the hotel since last week.

Joseph Ghayouba, who represents Whitehaven Central on Copeland Council, has met with some of the asylum seekers.

He said: “When I met with them, they told me they were very relieved to be safe in the UK after some very scary and traumatic experiences, and asked me lots of questions about the local area, and how they can integrate better with the local community.

“Unlike some comments online they don't receive a large allowance at all for their daily living expenses.”

Edwin Dinsdale, the deputy mayor of Whitehaven said he was concerned that the asylum seekers are being housed on Tangier Street.

He said the street has been graded as “unsafe” by website StreetScan.co.uk and a report produced in 2019 showed it was within the top eight per cent of streets within the UK for recorded crime.

Cllr Dinsdale said: “I shared with the town council my concerns about the asylum seekers running the risk of being exploited, due to the fact that they are vulnerable adults who have very little concept of the UK, never mind Whitehaven.

“The Home Office did not consult with any local authorities or the MP and Elected Mayor.

“These very vulnerable people are not coming for a holiday in the sun. I believe the asylum seekers are being set up to fail.

“Whitehaven as a town and community have been left with what can only be described as a recipe for disaster.

“The potential outcome could be catastrophic for 34 asylum seekers and the community of Whitehaven who will be left to pick up the pieces.”

Mark Johnson, who owns Club 135 on Tangier Street, said: “What he [Edwin] has said has made Tangier Street sound absolutely awful.

“In our building we have spent thousands of pounds putting extra CCTV and extra security. When we took over the pub, we knew there was a problem on Tangier Street so we made every possible mitigation that we could do to get rid of that that problem. There’s hardly any trouble at all on that street now.

“The amount of negativity that blows around this town is unreal. I can understand people had initial concerns but it’s not the asylum seekers’ fault they are there.
“We want Whitehaven to be a more forward-thinking, inclusive town, where anyone can come and have a decent life.

“All I know is they haven’t been any problem to us at all. I have met these people. They are just keeping themselves to themselves and trying to get on with life.”

Cllr Ghayouba has stressed that the agreement between the new owners of the Waverley Hotel and the Home Office was made without any consultation with the councillors, including himself.

He said: “I am learning about this at the same time as everyone else and still trying to get information regarding all the details. We don't yet know if councillors or the council will have any input into this agreement between the Home Office and Waverley Hotel.

“While we debate locally whether this site is appropriate for local people and the asylum seekers themselves let's try and be kind and respectful to each other.”

Mike Starkie, Elected Mayor of Copeland, said: ‘It’s really unhelpful that ill-informed messages are appearing on social media and I urge people to consider the source of the information before repeating or commenting on it.
“Since the asylum seekers have arrived no concerns have been raised to me. The council continues to work with partners and Serco, who manage the site, to support them and keep everyone safe, as they go through the asylum process with the Home Office.”

READ MORE: Asylum seekers believed to have moved into Whitehaven's Waverley Hotel despite concerns