The number of asylum seekers living in UK hotels has halved within a year, according to new Home Office figures, while small boat crossings fell 23% year-on-year. However, the number of asylum seekers housed in private accommodation has risen as people are moved out of hotels.
Key facts
- The Home Office was housing 16,021 asylum seekers across 160 hotels at the end of June.
- The number of asylum seekers in hotels has halved within a year, including 13 hotel closures in the past month.
- Small boat crossings are down 23% year-on-year.
- Numbers housed in private accommodation, including houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), have increased.
- Legal arrivals and asylum claims have also dropped significantly.
The number of asylum seekers living in hotels across the UK has halved within a year, according to new Home Office migration statistics reported by the Guardian. At the end of June, the Home Office was housing 16,021 asylum seekers across 160 hotels.
The figures also show 13 hotel closures in the past month alone, part of a wider effort to reduce reliance on hotel accommodation for people awaiting decisions on their asylum claims.
Alongside the drop in hotel use, small boat crossings were down 23% year-on-year. The Home Office has cited an increase in trafficking arrests as a factor in the decline, according to the Guardian.
The statistics point to what the Guardian describes as sweeping changes to the asylum system, which have also led to a significant drop in legal arrivals and in the number of asylum claims being made.
However, the reduction in hotel numbers has not meant fewer people in the asylum accommodation system overall. The number of asylum seekers housed in private accommodation has increased, as the government moves people from hotels into privately rented houses in multiple occupation, known as HMOs.
The shift reflects a change in how asylum seekers are accommodated rather than solely a fall in the total needing housing, with the government relocating people from hotels into private rented properties.
Why it matters
The use of hotels to house asylum seekers has been a politically contentious and costly issue in the UK. A halving of hotel numbers and a fall in small boat crossings signal shifts in government policy, though the rise in private accommodation shows the underlying demand for housing has not disappeared.
Frequently asked questions
How many asylum seekers are still in UK hotels?
According to Home Office figures reported by the Guardian, 16,021 asylum seekers were housed across 160 hotels at the end of June.
Have small boat crossings gone down?
Yes. The Home Office figures show small boat crossings are down 23% year-on-year, with the department citing more trafficking arrests.
Where are asylum seekers being moved to instead of hotels?
The government is shifting people from hotels into private accommodation, including privately rented houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), and the numbers in private accommodation have increased.