Residents ‘Kept in the Dark’ as 300 Male Ilegal Migrants Secretly Moved Into Hotel Overnight

In the middle of the night, several coaches secretly brought hundreds of mostly male asylum seekers to stay in a four-star hotel in a quiet, upscale village in Cheshire. The hotel, located in Altrincham, was suddenly turned into temporary accommodation for these migrants. Local residents had no idea this was happening until the migrants arrived.

Now, six months later, many of those same migrants have been forced out of the hotel and are now living in tents nearby, unable to find proper housing.

The situation has deeply affected the small, wealthy town, which is home to celebrities, footballers, and professionals. Residents say they were never consulted about the decision to house around 300 single men at the Cresta Court Hotel, and now many are witnessing the harsh reality outside their front doors.

The reason many of the asylum seekers are now homeless is due to a government rule known as the “56-day rule.” Once someone is granted refugee status in the UK, they are only allowed to stay in government accommodation, like the hotel, for 56 more days. After that, they must find housing on their own. But finding a place to live in such a short time is extremely difficult, especially in areas where housing is expensive and scarce.

As a result, many are left with nowhere to go. They are forced to sleep in tents, especially around public buildings like the town hall in nearby Sale. When reporters visited the area recently, they saw five tents with seven men and one woman, all of whom used to stay in the hotel. Some had been sleeping outside for over a month.

A few of the migrants who spoke to reporters said they came from war-torn countries like Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. One young man said he had been living on the streets for 30 days and hadn’t been able to wash his clothes or find a regular toilet or shower.

Local Conservative councillor Nathan Evans confirmed that migrants are removed from the hotel once their stay is over, but with no housing available, they end up on the streets in Sale or even Manchester. This has not only caused visible homelessness but is also pushing up rent prices for everyone else due to high demand and low supply.

The hotel where the migrants were staying is located on a street where homes sell for around £700,000. Locals were shocked when buses filled with migrants arrived one night without warning. Many say the hotel had been a beloved venue for weddings, meals, and community events. Now, it’s become the center of a major local dispute, with weekly protests outside the hotel by both critics of the decision and anti-racist campaigners.

Residents like Kenneth Lee and the Williams family shared their sadness. They remember the hotel as a place full of joyful memories—weddings, baptisms, community nights. Now, they feel ignored by the council, who made the decision without any public consultation.

Another resident, Karen, noted that some of the same people brought in last year are now living in tents, calling the situation tragic and politically sensitive.

Adding to the tension, far-right groups like Britain First and Patriotic Alternative have held protests across from the hotel, fueling divisions. There were also misleading claims online that the asylum seekers were receiving free private healthcare while local hospital services were being cut. In truth, a non-profit group called Gtd Healthcare was hired for 12 weeks to provide basic NHS-funded care to the migrants.

Some anti-migrant influencers have shown up daily to the hotel, filming and harassing staff. One security guard reportedly said they deal with hostile visitors almost every day.

Trafford Council acknowledged the tents outside the Sale Waterside building and confirmed most of the people there were former asylum seekers who had been granted permission to stay in the UK. Because they are not considered a priority under housing rules, the council isn’t required to find them places to live, though it is trying to help them access private rentals. Some people have already been placed in housing through these efforts.

The council also said there’s no report of anti-social behavior from the people living in tents and that they’ve been using public toilets and other facilities respectfully. Officials are continuing to talk with them because everyone agrees this is not a safe or proper way to live.

There are also organisations like Migrant Help that offer assistance to newly recognised refugees, helping them apply for benefits like Universal Credit and search for housing.

Since July 2024, over 6,700 people who came to the UK seeking asylum have been returned to their home countries.