UKBA outrage at plans to turn hotel into detention centre

Officials from the UK Border Agency have denounced plans to convert an airport hotel to a detention centre, saying they are extremely disappointed with the move.

The UKBA’s director Alan Kitlle wrote to MP for Crawley to voice his surprise and anger that an application for planning permission lodged by hotel tycoon Suriner Arora to convert the Mercure Hotel in Gatwick was accepted.

Kittle claimed that the agency frequently is asked to review applications from land owners but that it was quickly decided on review that such a proposal on this occasion was completely unacceptable. Arora heads the Arora Group and had requested the opportunity to make the Accor Hotel an immigration removal centre. Kittle claimed the application took the agency very much by surprise adding that there was already a two removal centres at Gatwick and there were no plans to add a third. Gatwick currently has Brook House and Trinity House within the complex to handle removals.

Kittle went on to add that he had written to Mr Arora directly to voice his disapproval claiming that the property developer had severely misjudged the potential impact on the local community and the UK Border Agency itself. Kittle has invited Arora to withdraw his application.

Crawley MP Anna Moffat was also shocked by the move saying the application betrayed the trust between the community and the Home Office as she claims the UKBA had automatically assumed the local government would back the plan. Ms Moffat said she in no way supported the plan and while she acknowledged that the proposal was merely speculative that a huge amount of damage had already been done.

The Arora Group is looking at alternate options for the Hotel.