The Home Office has announced the closure of eleven hotels used to house asylum seekers across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, with more closures expected in the coming weeks. Approximately 350 claimants have been relocated to the Crowborough military camp in East Sussex, described as 'basic accommodation'. The move follows Prime Minister Keir Starmer's pledge to end the use of hotels for asylum seekers before the next general election.
The closures come amid ongoing protests and criticism from both campaign groups and political opponents. Reform UK has continued to campaign for the closure of all 200 remaining asylum hotels, which currently house around 30,000 people. The number of hotels still in use stands at 185, down from a peak of 400. Asylum seekers are prohibited from working for the first year of their claim, leaving the Home Office obliged to provide accommodation.
Immigration Minister Alex Norris stated: 'Hotels were meant to be a short-term stopgap under the previous government, but they spiralled out of control – costing taxpayers billions and dumping the consequences on local communities. We are shutting them down by moving people into more basic accommodation, scaling up large sites, removing record numbers of people with no right to remain.' The Home Office estimates the closures will save £65 million.
However, the Refugee Council has criticised the decision, arguing that military sites are unsuitable and more expensive than hotels. Imran Hussain, director of external affairs at the Refugee Council, said: 'The government's own spending watchdog previously found that they are more expensive than hotels, and they isolate people from local communities and essential services.' He suggested giving temporary permission to stay to people from countries like Sudan and Iran as a better alternative.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp claimed there are more asylum seekers in hotels now than at the time of the election, accusing the government of 'shunting people from hotels into residential apartments to hide what is going on'. Protests outside hotels have become tense, with some turning violent, such as in Rotherham in August 2024 when protesters tried to set fire to a hotel with asylum seekers inside.
