A report has found that asylum seekers living in UK hotels have endured rats, overcrowding and food so poor it leads to malnutrition. The study, titled Profiting From People: Inside the UK’s Asylum Hotels, was compiled by the Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London (Ramfel) and draws on the experiences of 493 people housed in such accommodation between January 2023 and February 2025.
The report describes overcrowded conditions, including families of six sharing a single room, with beds used as tables and desks. Food was often burnt or undercooked, and a common complaint was that no adjustments were made for residents with medical conditions or disabilities. Extracts from GP letters included in the report raised alarm about weight loss and malnutrition, particularly among children.
Ramfel estimates that the Home Office’s three accommodation providers made a combined profit of £380 million between September 2019 and August 2024, equivalent to £146 a minute. Despite government pledges to close asylum hotels, the number in use has fallen by only three since Labour came to power.
Nick Beales, head of campaigns at Ramfel, said: “Whilst politicians across the divide fuel anger and hate by claiming these are luxury five-star hotels, the reality is very different. The food is inedible, rat infestations are common and bedrooms would fail minimum hygiene standards.” He urged the government to focus on community-based housing instead.
A Home Office spokesperson responded: “We are furious at the level of illegal migrants and asylum hotels. This government will close every asylum hotel. Work is well under way to move asylum seekers into military bases to ease pressure on communities across the country.” The Home Office has confirmed that two military sites, Crowborough in East Sussex and Cameron in Inverness, are being considered for temporary accommodation.
