The ‘impossible to eat’ food refugees are being served in a Bristol hotel

Asylum seekers being temporarily housed in a Bristol hotel are being served ‘impossible to eat’ food, it has been claimed.

Bristol World has been contacted by one refugee who has been staying in a hotel in the city. We have chosen not to reveal his identity or the location of the hotel.

The man says there are around 100 refugees in the hotel, with average age of 30-40 years old. The youngest is 18 and the oldest is over 50.

He says the asylum seekers are from Iran, Iraq, African countries and Arab countries. There are also a few from Russia and the CIS countries.

The food served in the hotels is supplied by contractors working on behalf of the Home Office. The man claims the hotel’s kitchen is not being used and refugees aren’t allowed to cook food in their rooms.

He said: “On the ground floor there is one microwave for the entire hotel. We take turns using it.

“We’d like to be able to cook in the kitchen but we aren’t allowed access. Instead of cooking fresh food, the government is looking for contractors who would deliver ready-made food to us in plastic dishes.

“Contractors deliver us food that is impossible to eat. It often stinks. People usually choose a couple of pieces that can be eaten and throw away everything else.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable – there are currently more than 45,500 asylum seekers in hotels, costing the UK taxpayer £5.6 million a day. The use of hotels is a short-term solution and we are working hard with local authorities to find appropriate accommodation.”