Elgin’s Eight Acres Hotel will no longer be used to house asylum seekers, Home Office confirms
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THE Eight Acres Hotel will no longer be used to house asylum seekers, the Home Office has confirmed.
The Elgin hotel has been closed to the public since April 2023 to provide accommodation to asylum seekers, however the Home Office have now announced they have terminated their contract – with all current residents expected to be relocated in July of this year.
The Eight Acres is one of more than 100 asylum hotels to have their contract terminated, as a result of the UK government’s move towards “more appropriate forms of asylum accommodation” like former military sites and barges.
Residents in the hotel will be moved by The Home Office to other asylum accommodations and will be notified a minimum of five days before their move, with aim to complete all relocations before the end of July.
Moray MP Douglas Ross said: “I welcome this news from the Home Office. The Eight Acres Hotel in Elgin was appropriate as a short-term solution to house asylum seekers, but better long-term solutions must be found in terms of their accommodation.
“With this news being announced months ahead of the contract ending, I will continue to work closely with the Home Office and local authorities to ensure that relocation efforts run smoothly as possible for all those involved.
“There were some concerns raised when the hotel was initially designated as asylum accommodation, but there have been very few issues with it. That said I know people will be pleased to see the hotel soon able to return as accommodation for tourists to our area."
