The government is considering alternative accommodation options to house asylum seekers in England following concerns about hotel suitability. The Home Office must meet legal obligations to support destitute asylum seekers with financial assistance and accommodation while claims are decided. Initial contingency accommodation includes hotels, hostels and special secure facilities, with later dispersal to shared houses or self-contained flats. The number accommodated rose from about 47,000 in December 2019 to about 110,000 in December 2024, with roughly 200 hotels housing over 30,000 people by March 2025. Hotels cost about £170 per person daily versus £27 for other accommodation. Protests have targeted some hotels and a high court granted an interim injunction to stop placements at one hotel.
The Home Office is responsible for ensuring compliance with the UK's legal commitments regarding asylum seekers. That includes supporting destitute people seeking asylum while it makes a decision on their claim, by providing financial support and accommodation. Asylum seekers are initially housed in contingency accommodation, such as hotels, hostels or special secure facilities. Later they may be moved to dispersal accommodation, including shared houses or self-contained flats or houses.
The number of people seeking asylum who were accommodated by the government has increased from about 47,000 in December 2019 to about 110,000 in December 2024. About 200 hotels were housing more than 30,000 asylum seekers in England and Wales at the end of March 2025. Since 2020, there has been greater reliance on hotels to house asylum seekers, but Labour has promised to end the use of hotels by 2029 by cutting small boat crossings and building new government-owned accommodation.
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