The Somali national was arrested on suspicion of murder, police said.
A support staff worker was reportedly stabbed at The Stanwell Hotel (Image: Google Street View)
The victim of an alleged stabbing at a hotel used to house asylum seekers is a support staff worker, an MP has said. Surrey Police said armed officers were called to The Stanwell Hotel in Town Lane, Stanwell, at 6.30pm on Saturday (August 15) to a report of a stabbing.
Police said a man in his 30s was taken to hospital with “life-threatening injuries” by South East Coast Ambulance Service. A Somali man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in police custody.
Surrey Police said its officers are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
Conservative MP Lincoln Jopp posted a video on Facebook on Sunday in which he said the victim of the stabbing was a support staff worker.
Mr Jopp, the MP for Spelthorne, said “one of the support staff who work here was stabbed”, and that “one of the people who live here was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder”.
He went on to add that he would tell the Home Office that the hotel should be a priority for closure to asylum seekers.
Det Supt Kate Hyder said in a statement issued on Saturday: “We understand this incident has caused concern within the local community, and I encourage you to speak to local officers.”
Surrey Police is asking anyone with information about the incident to call 101 or message the force via the live chat service on its website.
There are some 160 asylum seeker hotels in the UK, down from a peak of 400 in 2023, according to the Home Office.
The Government announced earlier this month that 13 hotels had closed in a move it said would save taxpayers £51million.
Hotels were closed in Loughborough, Hale, Wolverhampton, Blackpool, Nottingham and Bradford, Norwich, Bridgwater, Hitchin, Lewisham, Sandbach, Dunstable and Stratford-upon-Avon.
Meanwhile, ministers are seeking to extend the use of existing military sites, including Crowborough until 2030 and Wethersfield beyond 2027.
Planning permission is currently being sought at MOD Bicester and MOD Barnham, while discussions are underway for MOD Linton-on-Ouse. Together, these new sites could eventually house around 3,750 asylum seekers.