’Utterly broken Britain!’ Property expert blasts luxury housing plan for asylum seekers
Russell Quirk says Britain is on a road to becoming 'utterly broken'
GB NEWS
Plans to house asylum seekers in “luxury” university accommodation have come under fire.
Around 170 university students in Huddersfield have been told to find alternative accommodation after a block of flats was taken over by the Home Office.
They were due to become home to 168 students this academic year, according to Prestige Student Living.
Those plans have now been shelved with the 405-bed property now becoming a place to accommodate migrants as their asylum claims are processed.
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The decision is facing scrutiny from property expert Russell Quirk, who said the scenario is reminiscent of a “sitcom”.
“This feels to me like we’re three quarters down a slippery slope that leads to a completely and utterly broken Britain”, he said on GB News.
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“The fact now that we have 168 students who have also signed agreements to live in reasonable accommodation to start studying next week and the Home Office have seen fit to effectively commander this block of luxury apartments is absolutely astonishing.
“It’s like something from The Thick of It, like a political sitcom.
“You can just imagine some hapless, idiotic minister thinking what a good idea this is.
“I am so sick about where we are as a country. A large chunk of migrants are not coming from war torn countries and being put in the lap of luxury when we have veterans on the streets.
University students in Huddersfield have been told to find new accommodation
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“And yet still, if you are an asylum seeker and you decide you want a cushy, easy life, the Home Office will tell you what you can expect upon arriving at this once great country.
“Is it any wonder we have upwards of 80,000 people a year landing on these shores? Generally and mostly illegally.”
A spokesperson for Prestige Student Living told ITV: "Hudd Student Management, the landlord for HD1, informed us that the building will not be opening to students in September.
"This decision is beyond the control of Prestige Student Living.
Huge numbers of migrants are still coming to Britain via small boats PA"Our team took immediate action to inform students and help them secure alternative accommodation in Huddersfield and return all payments made to us.
"We deeply sympathise with the students affected by the news and will do all we can to support them."
The landlord declined to comment.
In a bid to tackle a record backlog in claims, the Government has been forced to resort to using hotels and other buildings as emergency accommodation for asylum seekers.
Barges and military bases are among the types of property used to carry through the plans.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "We have always been up front about the unprecedented pressure being put on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country.
"We continue to work across government and with local authorities to identify a range of accommodation options.
"The government remains committed to engaging with local authorities and key stakeholders as part of this process."