The cost of housing migrants in hotels has risen to £8 million a day, according to new Home Office figures. The use of hotels has increased as the number of people entering the UK illegally or claiming asylum has hit record levels.
The government has promised to reduce the use of hotels for migrants while their claims are processed. A government source said the new figures showed 'why we've got to get migrants out of hotels and stop the boats'.
Yvette Cooper, Labour's shadow home secretary, accused the Conservatives of 'busting the Home Office budget, breaking the asylum system, and the British people are paying the price'. She added that the cost of hotel accommodation had gone up by a third since Rishi Sunak promised to end hotel use.
The government has a legal obligation to provide asylum seekers with basic accommodation. Asylum seekers are typically housed in hotels for a few weeks before being moved to long-term self-catered homes, but the backlog of unprocessed claims has led to increased hotel use.
A government source defended the Rwanda scheme, saying it would break the people smugglers' business model. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer suggested a Labour government might accept migrants in exchange for a returns deal, but Labour denied they would join an EU quota scheme.
