Number of asylum hotels falls to 185 after 11 close
Asylum Hotel Numbers Drop to 185 After 11 Closures
The Home Office has announced the closure of 11 hotels used for housing asylum seekers, reducing the total count to 185 from a high of approximately 400. This decrease is attributed to a rise in the removal of individuals without legal residency rights and the redirection of accommodations to other locations, such as military barracks. Home Office Minister Alex Norris highlighted that asylum hotels had become a source of frustration for local communities and had also acted as a magnet for those seeking to enter the UK illegally.
Since the start of 2024, the government has committed to decreasing small boat arrivals by targeting trafficking networks. However, 100,625 people still reached the UK in 2025, despite these efforts. Norris stated that ending hotel accommodations would lessen the incentive for migrants to cross the English Channel, countering claims from traffickers that “come to the UK, live in a hotel, work illegally” is a common strategy.
Cost and Controversy of Hotel Use
Asylum seekers are not permitted to work during their initial 12-month stay while their claims are processed. When they cannot secure their own housing, the Home Office is legally obligated to provide shelter. The reliance on hotels surged in 2020 due to processing delays and a shortage of permanent housing. In 2024-2025, £2.1bn was allocated to hotels, compared to £3bn the prior year—equivalent to about £8.3m per day.
As of December, 103,426 people were in asylum housing, with 30,657 residing in hotels. Two-thirds of those are placed in dispersal accommodations, typically houses within local communities. Norris predicted that the number in hotels would fall below 29,585, the level recorded when Labour took office. The peak in hotel usage occurred in 2023, with over 56,000 people accommodated, under the Conservative administration.
Political Reactions and Future Plans
The Labour government has pledged to eliminate hotel use for asylum seekers by July 2029, aiming to save nearly £65m annually. It plans to announce additional closures in the coming weeks. Critics, however, argue that shifting people to residential apartments merely relocates the issue rather than solving it. Councillor Rachel Millward expressed concerns that the Home Office had not sufficiently consulted communities or detailed its strategy.
“We’re shunting people from hotels into residential apartments to hide what is going on,” said Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp. “Those apartments are then not available for young people struggling to get on the housing ladder.” He added that the Conservative approach seeks to exit the European Convention on Human Rights to expedite deportations within a week of arrival.
Max Wilkinson of the Liberal Democrats acknowledged the closure of hotels as beneficial but emphasized that it does not address the root causes. “Closing asylum hotels is right for both communities and asylum seekers,” he said, “but it doesn’t fix the problem—it just moves it elsewhere.” Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf criticized the government for transferring illegal migrants between taxpayer-funded accommodations, calling the move “shocking.” He claimed that without Reform UK’s leadership, more arrivals will follow.
The Green Party has been contacted for its response to the policy. Readers can sign up for the Politics Essential newsletter to stay updated on developments in Westminster and beyond.
