SPECULATION online that a block of flats in Bournemouth will be used to house asylum seekers has been quashed.
Rumours have been spreading on social media that West Mansions in Poole Road, Westbourne are to be used to house migrants.
A tweet put out by an X/Twitter user and seen by more than 70,000 people said residents “need to be aware” that “beds, duvets and cupboards” are being moved in for them.
The building had been left abandoned for a while until recently when the exterior had been given a spruce up.
Workmen have been seen recently revamping the surrounding ground and giving the walls a new lick of paint.
The Echo approached BCP Council for a comment and directed enquiries to the Home Office which deals with housing migrants.
The Home Office confirmed there are no plans to use West Mansions to house asylum seekers.
Replying to residents on social media, BCP Council also shut down the rumours the block of flats would be used to house asylum seekers, saying it is a “false rumour”.
Speaking to a user on X/Twitter, the local authority said: “I am not sure where you got this information from, but I've just checked with all our teams here and the external providers we use and none of this info is accurate.”
In October, Bournemouth West MP Sir Conor Burns said there are “multiple hotels” housing migrants in his constituency.
He told the House of Commons an unnamed Bournemouth hotel would be part of 50 sites across the UK which will no longer be used to accommodate asylum seekers.
Instead, they would be sent to the Bibby Stockholm barge off Portland by the end of January.
Sir Conor added: “When can we have the rest of our hotels back?”
Latest figures from the Home Office shows 745 people were claiming asylum assistance in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole as of December 2022 – up from 198 a year before.
A total of 145 Afghan refugees were recorded living in the conurbation at the end of March, government figures also show.
In addition, the figures show 566 Ukrainians living in the area through the 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme, which facilitates UK citizens to sponsor and temporarily house refugees fleeing the conflict with Russia.
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