Images have emerged today of the “inedible and terrible” food being offered to asylum seekers staying in two budget hotels.
The images, which showed dodgy-looking food including burgers, chicken rolls and kebabs, were taken at two guesthouses near Bristol which have been seized by the Home Office.
One activist said people living there felt reluctant to complain, so they wanted to raise the issue on their behalf.
Between 100 and 150 men live in one hotel south of Bristol, with their wives and children in a second hotel nearby.
Residents receive £8.24 a week to buy items such as clothing and toiletries and are not allowed to work or earn money.
The images, which showed questionable-looking food, including what appears to be a chicken roll, were taken by asylum seekers staying in two hotels near Bristol.
One activist said people living there felt reluctant to complain, so they wanted to raise the issue on their behalf.
Do you have photos of the food offered in asylum hotels? Email rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk
One follower said they wanted to share the images of the food to give an idea of the conditions in the hotels.
“They bring this food every day, it’s packaged, it’s cold and they have to heat it in a microwave in their room,” the source said.
‘There is no other option, and the most frustrating thing is that the hotel has a kitchen, but it is closed. They have no other way to supply themselves with food.
‘Many of them say it’s quite inedible. They don’t want to complain, they’re hoping that they can be granted refugee status and make a new life in this country, but we feel like complaining on their behalf, because it’s pretty awful.
“They get £8 a week to live on, and that has to cover everything from toiletries to transport.
“Very often these are people who have been traumatized, escaped war or persecution, and are now held in what is essentially an open prison, where their punishment is to be bored, left doing nothing, and given terrible food to eat. without means or tools to cook for themselves or improve things for themselves.’
Between 100 and 150 men live in one hotel south of Bristol, with their wives and children in a second hotel nearby.
There have been regular complaints about the level of food provided to asylum seekers in hotels across the country.
Many of those seeking asylum at the two hotels have fled persecution in Iran, the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, the civil war in Syria or war and famine in East Africa.
“There is a lot of misinformation being spread about how these people are living in some kind of luxury, just because they are staying in a hotel, but the reality is very different,” the source added.
“We just wanted to share the pictures they took of the food, to show what it’s like on a day-to-day basis.”
There have been regular complaints about the quality of food given to asylum seekers in hotels across the country.
Last year, the Home Office defended its practice after GPs in Essex said children were not growing properly due to the poor quality and quantity of food they were given in that area.
A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘Asylum seekers in hotels receive three meals a day, as well as a weekly allowance and additional provisions for families with a baby or young child.
A source said: “We just wanted to share the pictures they took of the food, just to show what it’s like on a day-to-day basis.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Asylum seekers in hotels receive three meals a day, as well as a weekly allowance and additional provisions for families with a baby or young child.”
‘The food provided in asylum hotels meets all NHS Eatwell standards and responds to all cultural and dietary requirements.
‘When concerns arise about any aspect of the service provided at a hotel, we work with the provider to ensure those concerns are addressed, while asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 helpline to raise any concerns they have and can file formal complaints. which will always be monitored.”
Taxpayers are paying £5.6 million a day to house asylum seekers in hotels due to a shortage of official accommodation.
Another 50 migrants arrived in Dover yesterday after making a dangerous journey in the early hours of the morning.
A total of 1,180 people crossed the Channel last month, with the busiest day being January 22, when 442 asylum seekers landed on British soil.
In comparison, some 1,339 people made the trip in the first month of 2022.
The source added: “The food provided in asylum hotels meets all NHS Eatwell standards and responds to all cultural and dietary requirements.”