A HOSTEL used to house hundreds of asylum seekers has officially closed, with residents being given only three days’ notice of where they would be relocated to.

More than 200 people – some of whom have been staying at there for almost three years – were told to pack up their things from Clink78 in King’s Cross and last week were transferred to various hotels, mainly in London or the South East.

The closure comes several months after an investigation by the council’s environmental standards team deemed some of the rooms too small for habitation.

Mo Naeimi, a refugee who now works at a charity helping fellow asylum seekers, said: “That place was horrible, it was a really nasty place for people to live. I’m so delighted that many of those people are at least in a better place.

“Anywhere in the UK is better than that place. I always thought that if I were in Clink, I would rather be homeless than sleep there”.

The Tribune has previously reported on the “vile” conditions inside the hostel, which contributed to soaring rates of mental illness, with some men even trying to hurt themselves.

Inside Clink78, a former law building turned backpacker hostel, up to eight men were expected to share a room, some of which had no windows. Residents reported being given mouldy food prepared in a rodent-infested kitchen, and rain pouring through an unfixed leak in the communal area’s ceiling.

According to council insiders, councillors and officers in the Town Hall had consistently raised concerns about the unsuitability of the hostel to government.

Mr Naeimi said: “From the moment that I was in the hostels, I was working with other charities and organisations and the council. We’ve tried so hard to show government that this place is not standard, it’s hurting people.”

Councillor Heather Staff, the Town Hall’s migrant champion, told the Tribune: “It’s slightly frustrating that it’s taken so long. Standards could have been improved, particularly by the contractor. We’re happy about it closing, it’s the right thing, but equally, why did we get here?”

She added: “It just wasn’t fit for purpose. If you’re looking at a very short-term thing, then maybe. Hostels and sharing with people you don’t know and have never met – maybe you can get away with a couple days, a month or two. But a year, two years? That’s outrageous.”

The Home Office marked the hostel for closure in late 2024, according to council sources. But Clearsprings, the company contracted by the government to operate the hostel, told residents where they would be moving only three days prior to relocation.

Mr Naeimi said: “People didn’t have enough time to arrange the stuff that they had and to know about the location they are going to be sent. People are used to living in London and then they move to other places and it’s hard for them to create that community again.

“It’s hard for people to adapt to the situation. They were told they could only bring two bags of stuff. It is a horrible situation. The only positive thing is that they got rid of that place.”

Elizabeth, a charity worker who provides support to asylum seekers in Islington, said: “I think how late it was that they were told caused so much unnecessary stress. If they’d have known, they could have found support there – colleges, courses, charities.”

She added: “It’s really difficult, especially when friendship groups are broken up. But people are finding that when they got there, it was better than they expected. So there were some really upset people beforehand and now most people seem to be all right.”

Cllr Staff said that contractors, like Clearsprings, needed to “pull their socks up”.

She added: “I would like the contractors to be brought before the Home Affairs Select Committee more often.

“There should be a high degree of accountability and responsibility. Responsibility to run a good accommodation, care of the people involved. You’re still a person and you should be treated with the dignity you deserve.”

The Home Office said: “This government is delivering on its commitment to close asylum hotels, significantly reducing costs to the taxpayer and returning control to local communities.”
Clearsprings declined to comment.