Norfolk's most senior council officer has criticised the Home Office for a "rush job" over the temporary placement of asylum seekers and refugees in the county's hotels.
Tom McCabe, the top officer at Norfolk County Council, joined criticism as home secretary Suella Braverman endured mounting political pressure over chaos within the asylum system.
That includes from within the Tory party, with Norwich North MP Chloe Smith admitting "the asylum system is clearly dysfunctional".
And the leader of Norwich City Council has also blasted how decisions on placements are being made by the Home Office and contractors behind closed doors, with no involvement from councils.
It comes amid a legal row over the Home Office's "imposed" use of hotels in Great Yarmouth to temporarily house asylum seekers and refugees, plus controversy after a group of 11 'abandoned' asylum seekers were brought to a Norwich hotel.
It is understood more hotels around Norfolk have also been identified to house people in the months ahead, while the process to establish whether they can legally stay in the UK is completed.
The men brought to Norwich this week were among two bus loads of people, who had been kept in illegal conditions at the Manston processing centre in Kent, who were left at London's Victoria station.
When a homelessness charity highlighted their plight, arrangements were made by the Home Office for the men to be taken by taxi to a hotel in Norwich.
The Home Office has said it does not comment on operational arrangements for individual sites used for asylum accommodation.
Last month, it emerged the Home Office intended to use two hotels in the Norwich area as temporary homes for refugees and people seeking asylum.
Norwich North MP Chloe Smith had previously raised concerns over whether the necessary public services were in place to cope with a hotel in her constituency being used in that way.
Speaking yesterday of the developments in recent days, Ms Smith said: “The asylum system is clearly dysfunctional. This isn’t fair either on asylum seekers in their hour of need, nor on the local community.
"While Norwich is traditionally a welcoming, friendly city, residents are concerned that the use of a hotel affects the local economy and local public services. Recent reported events also underline that asylum seekers need proper support and security too.
"I’ve questioned the Home Office on behalf of constituents, because we urgently need an improved and cost-effective system that delivers the UK’s legal obligations while being fair to all concerned.
"I strongly support the steps that are needed to stop the criminal gangs that traffick migrants and land too many people on our shores in unsafe small boats.”
Mr McCabe, head of paid service at Conservative-controlled Norfolk County Council, said the Home Office decisions on where people are placed heaped pressure on local services.
He criticised the short lead-in time councils had to ensure support services for those people, which they are legally bound to provide.
He said: "Between ourselves, the district council and health services - if we had warning, if we were able to plan these locations properly, so they linked to services people will need, that would give us the best chance of making sure these are successful processes.
"Unfortunately, not just in our experience, but elsewhere, it is a bit of a rush job.
"It makes it really difficult for everyone, including the refugees and the local community."
And Alan Waters, leader of Labour-controlled Norwich City Council, said: “The home secretary has said the system is broken, which it is.
"Local authorities are not engaged or consulted in relation to where hotels are set up or how many people go to them – this is done behind closed doors by the Home Office and private contractors.
"This places councils and other statutory service providers on the back foot.
“The city council has joined other local authorities in lobbying the Home Office to engage with us and provide funding for appropriate support and community integration.”
In Great Yarmouth, the borough council took out an injunction to prevent the town's Embassy Hotel being used as accommodation for asylum seekers.
The Home Office also wanted to place 80 asylum seekers in the Hotel Victoria, which the council opposed.
Sheila Oxtoby, chief executive of Conservative-controlled Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said the Home Office had not engaged with the council to identify the most appropriate accommodation.
Home Office admits hotel use is 'unacceptable'
The government has also come under fire from its own MPs over why asylum seekers have been placed in hotels in their constituencies without prior notification from the Home Office.
The Home Office said it engages with councils as early as possible whenever sites are used for asylum accommodation.
A spokeswoman said: "The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain.
"The use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable – there are currently more than 37,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the UK taxpayer £5.6m a day.
"The use of hotels is a short-term solution and we are working hard with local authorities to find appropriate accommodation."
Home secretary Suella Braverman, who sparked criticism over her claim the UK faced an “invasion” of migrants, visited Western Jet Foil in Dover yesterday – the holding facility which was targeted in a petrol bomb attack on Sunday.
In the afternoon she arrived at the Manston centre in a Chinook helicopter.
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