The number of asylum seekers being accommodated in hotels across the UK has seen a sharp increase of 13% over a three-month period, according to newly released government statistics.
A Rising Trend in Contingency Accommodation
Official data from the Home Office shows that 36,273 people were living in temporary hotel accommodation at the end of September while awaiting decisions on their asylum claims. This marks a significant rise from the 32,041 individuals recorded at the end of June. The figure is also higher than the same time last year, which stood at 35,628.
This issue has become increasingly visible, with protests taking place outside several hotels housing asylum seekers, including one in Essex this summer. The situation escalated in Epping Forest, where the local council is seeking to appeal a High Court ruling concerning the Bell Hotel, after an asylum seeker housed there was charged with a sexual assault.
Government Response and Political Pledges
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has stated he is "determined to close all our asylum hotels", criticising the previous Conservative government for leaving a "huge mess". The Labour party has pledged to end the use of hotels for this purpose by the end of the current Parliament in 2029, if not sooner.
In response to the growing numbers, a Home Office spokesperson confirmed that the number of hotels in use is now "fewer than 200", down from a previous figure of fewer than 210. The spokesperson outlined the government's strategy, saying, "Work is well under way to move illegal migrants into military bases to ease pressure on communities across the country."
This plan involves using Cameron Barracks in Inverness and Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex to house around 900 men. However, the announcement for the Crowborough site was met with a protest involving hundreds of people last weekend.
Underlying Challenges and Systemic Backlogs
Despite government efforts, experts suggest a fundamental problem remains. The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford pointed out that a new backlog has emerged in the appeals system, hindering progress towards the goal of ending hotel use.
The recent peak for hotel use was under the previous government, reaching 56,018 people at the end of September 2023. The number then fell to a record low of 29,561 by the end of June 2024, just before the general election, but has since climbed again.
The government's broader reforms, announced last week, aim to limit asylum seekers to a single appeal against removal and make it easier to deport them, in an attempt to deter illegal migration to the UK.
