Hundreds of asylum seekers have been removed from government-funded hotels while others have been sent to live in army barracks, the Home Office has announced. Eleven 'asylum hotels' in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland have been closed, and more will close in the coming weeks. About 350 claimants have been moved to Crowborough military camp in East Sussex, described as 'basic accommodation'.
The moves follow Keir Starmer’s pledge to close all hotels housing asylum seekers before the next general election. The number of hotels still used to house asylum seekers is 185, down from a peak of 400. Asylum seekers are forbidden from working for their first year in the UK, so the Home Office is obliged to house them.
The Refugee Council criticised Labour’s decision, stating military sites are unsuitable and 'more expensive than hotels'. Imran Hussain, director of external affairs, said large military sites isolate people from communities and essential services. He suggested giving limited permission to stay to certain nationalities as a better alternative.
Immigration minister Alex Norris said: 'Hotels were meant to be a short-term stopgap under the previous government, but they spiralled out of control – costing taxpayers billions.' He added that the closures would save £65m. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp countered that more asylum seekers are in hotels now than at the time of the election, claiming the government is hiding the issue by moving people into residential apartments.
Closed hotels include the Banbury House hotel in Oxfordshire, the Marine Court hotel in Bangor, and the Citrus hotel in Cheltenham, among others. Protests outside hotels have become tense over the last two summers, with some turning violent, such as in Rotherham in August 2024.
