Plans to house asylum seekers in a Whitehaven hotel is a private deal, Copeland’s political leaders said.
Mrs Harrison and Mr Starkie said the deal was between the Home Office and the new owner, and the district council was not involved – and it was not being paid to welcome asylum seekers to the area.
The statement said: “We have very recently been informed of the private arrangement between the Home Office and a new hotel owner to house asylum seekers in The Waverley Hotel, Whitehaven.
“We would like to make it clear to the public that the council has not received any financial incentive for this initiative, and has not been consulted on the matter, before the agreement was made between the private hotel owner and the contractor for the provision of government services.
“However, we are committed to playing our part, where we can, to secure the best possible outcome for all involved.
“We are expecting the people to arrive early next week, and now that we are aware of the matter, we will be reaching out to the new hotel owners to ensure all the correct licences are in place, if needed, and will be regularly meeting with the agencies responsible for the programme, to ensure it runs smoothly.
“This includes meetings with Cumbria Constabulary, the Home Office and Cumbria County Council.
“We hope to meet with the asylum seekers personally, to help agencies reinforce our expectations for their stay in the borough and hear their stories.
“We are also speaking to colleagues across the country to learn from their experience and ensure that we have the right things in place for both our residents and visitors, where it is our place to do so.
“We look forward to updating residents as the situation progresses, and we meet the people involved.”
