More than 1,500 convicted foreign criminals have been placed in taxpayer-funded asylum accommodation while awaiting deportation, according to figures released under Freedom of Information laws after a Daily Express campaign.
The Home Office was forced to disclose the data after repeatedly refusing requests, with almost 20,000 foreign offenders now living across Britain. Around 1,509 of them have been given free housing arranged for them, the investigation found.
Critics condemn the arrangement
Robert Bates, Research Director at the Centre for Migration Control, said: “This is a mind-blowing report which reveals that the Home Office is paying for illegal migrant criminals to be scattered in communities around the country. It is an insult to the British public, who deserve a government that deports foreign crooks rather than housing them at our expense. These people have shown that they are a threat to our society and do not deserve the right to live amongst us. The asylum system is clearly broken beyond repair if it enables a grave injustice such as this to occur.”
The Home Office insisted that the decision to release a foreign criminal into the community is “never taken lightly”, adding that “suitable accommodation is sourced prior to their release to manage them effectively”. It also pointed to evidence given to MPs by asylum accommodation provider Serco, which revealed a “lack of returns agreements with certain countries means their nationals will never be deported”. Serco added: “These individuals are therefore transferred to asylum accommodation on an indefinite basis.”
How the figures came to light
The Daily Express forced the Home Office to disclose the numbers through Freedom of Information laws after officials repeatedly refused, saying the department planned to publish the datasets in the future. This newspaper challenged that, pointing out that the promise had been made in early 2025. After further refusals, the case was referred to the Information Commissioner’s Office, and the Home Office finally admitted that more than 1,500 foreign national offenders are living in asylum accommodation.
Political backlash
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “It is shameful that Shabana Mahmood is putting up over a thousand foreign criminals in expensive hotels and flats at taxpayers’ expense. Many will go on to commit yet more crimes. As Home Secretary, I would deport all these criminals. This is why the Conservative plan is so important - if we leave the ECHR we can ensure these despicable foreign criminals are all deported with no asylum claim, no modern slavery claim and no human rights claim. But Andy Burnham is too weak to do this - so these criminals will stay here being paid for by us.”
Reform’s Zia Yusuf told the Daily Express: “It’s outrageous that so many foreign criminals are living in taxpayer funded accommodation. These people have no right to even step foot in our country, let alone have the red carpet rolled out for them. Under a Reform Government, every single foreign criminal will be deported. Simple.”
Soaring backlog
The number of foreign criminals living in communities despite being eligible for deportation has soared from 3,943 in 2012 to 19,779 this year. It has nearly doubled from 10,373 in the final three months of 2020. Under Labour, the backlog of foreign criminals who have dodged deportation has increased nearly 10%, from 18,074 to 19,779.
Many countries refuse to take back their nationals, and human rights laws prevent the Home Office from deporting convicted criminals to countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea, Iran and Syria.
A Home Office statement said: “All FNOs who receive a prison sentence in the UK are referred for deportation consideration at the earliest opportunity. A record number of FNOs have been returned from the UK under this government, over 9,800 which is a 36% increase on the 7,185 returns recorded in the twenty-one-month period ending June 2024. The decision to release a FNO into the community is never taken lightly. The threat of harm to the public is carefully considered and suitable accommodation is sourced prior to their release to manage them effectively in the community, in addition to stringent reporting and electronic monitoring conditions.”
Asylum housing plans and payments
The Home Office is moving asylum seekers out of hotels and into the “suburbs and shires”, with 68,719 asylum seekers living in houses, flats and bedsits – including large HMOs. Five former military bases will also be used to house more than 5,000 migrants.
Labour has faced fury for paying foreign criminals some £6.5 million between July 2024 and October 2025 to leave the country. The grants, awarded under the Facilitated Return Scheme (FRS), were given to 4,625 people at an average of £1,405 each. Criminals must apply for the grant and are eligible to receive up to £1,500 if they make their application while serving a custodial sentence. This drops to £750 for those who apply after finishing their prison sentence or who were not sentenced to prison time.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has vowed to boot asylum seekers out of their accommodation if they commit crimes. In June, the handouts became “conditional” and will only be given to those “who genuinely need it and follow the law”.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Nearly 10,000 foreign criminals including murderers and rapists have been removed since the last election – a 36% increase on the 21 months prior. Any foreign national who receives a prison sentence in the UK is referred for deportation and the earliest opportunity and will be barred from ever returning. In very limited circumstances, where they can prove they are destitute and need to comply with bail conditions, limited support will be provided temporarily ahead of their removal.”
