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Refugees

Asylum Seekers in Hotels: A Complex and Contested Issue

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The housing of asylum seekers in hotels has come under intense scrutiny after a High Court ruling in the case of Epping Forest District Council versus the UK government. As of the end of March, there were 32,345 asylum seekers being housed temporarily in UK hotels, a 15% decrease from the end of December when the total was 38,079. The use of hotels as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers is a contentious issue, with critics arguing that it is unsuitable and costly.

Key Takeaways:

  • The number of asylum seekers housed in hotels has decreased by 15% from the end of December to the end of March, with 32,345 individuals being accommodated in hotels at the end of March.
  • The total number of asylum seekers housed in hotels peaked at 56,042 at the end of September 2023, with over 400 hotels in use at that time.
  • The Home Office provides accommodation to asylum seekers on a "no-choice" basis, meaning they cannot choose where they live.
  • The National Audit Office reported in May that those temporarily living in hotels accounted for 35% of all people in asylum accommodation.
  • Labour has pledged to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers in this Parliament, which would be 2029, if not earlier.
  • Campaigners and charities have long argued that hotels are not suitable environments to house asylum seekers, costing the taxpayer billions and trapping people in limbo.
  • The Refugee Council has urged the Government to "partner with local councils to provide safe, cost-effective accommodation within communities".
  • The Government is "looking at a range of different contingency options" following the High Court ruling, with security minister Dan Jarvis stating that the Government will "continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns" around asylum hotels.
  • The Home Office has a range of options available, including the use of former military sites and large sites such as RAF Wethersfield in Essex, which has a capacity of 800 beds.

Statistics:

  • 32,345 asylum seekers were housed temporarily in UK hotels at the end of March (Home Office data)
  • The number of asylum seekers housed in hotels decreased by 15% from the end of December to the end of March (Home Office data)
  • 56,042 asylum seekers were housed in hotels at the end of September 2023, with over 400 hotels in use (Home Office data)
  • 35% of all people in asylum accommodation are temporarily living in hotels (National Audit Office report, May)
  • The Labour Government scrapped the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset, earlier this year
  • The Napier Barracks in Folkestone, Kent, is due to end housing asylum seekers and be returned to the Ministry of Defence in September

Sources:

  • Home Office data, end of March
  • Home Office data, end of December
  • National Audit Office report, May
  • Labour party pledge to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers
  • Refugee Council statement
  • Joint statement from Rape Crisis England & Wales and Refuge
  • Telegraph article by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage
  • Article from the PA news agency

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