(UNITED KINGDOM) The UK is housing record numbers of asylum seekers as ministers try to phase out the use of hotels while clearing a large backlog of claims. Home Office data for the year ending June 2025 show 111,084 people sought protection, up 14% on the previous year and the highest total since 1979. That surge, paired with tight rental markets and council pushback in some areas, has kept thousands in temporary rooms even as the government says it wants to end hotel accommodation by 2029.
Ministers argue the hotel model is expensive and poor for long stays. Yet by mid‑2025 more than 32,000 people were still in hotels across Britain, down from a peak of about 56,000 in September 2023 but higher than officials had hoped this year. The Labour government led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to stop using hotels for asylum seekers before the next general election, expected by 2029, but recent figures show hotel use has ticked up slightly compared with 2024.
Hotel use persists despite pledge
Officials say dispersal into ordinary homes is expanding, but supply is thin in many towns and cities. Local authorities have pushed back against rapid placements, at times filing legal challenges or seeking injunctions to slow moves.
Home Office contractors have taken several measures to cope with demand:
– Increased the number of people per hotel.
– Negotiated lower nightly rates — trimming the average from £162 to £119 between April 2024 and March 2025.
– Continued to rely on hotels nonetheless, which still cost roughly six times more than other forms of accommodation.
The geography of placements is shifting. Whereas the original dispersal policy aimed to spread arrivals to regions with lower housing demand, there has been a move toward London, the South East, and the East of England — areas that rely more on hotels and have higher rents. That change complicates the pledge to close hotel rooms because large family homes and affordable rentals are scarce in those markets.
At the centre of the argument is cost. The Home Office spent £4.76 billion on asylum in 2024–25, nearly four times the outlay in 2020–21, with about 76p of every £1 going on hotels alone. Even with lower nightly rates, that spend limits funds for legal advice, community support, and casework that could help people move on faster once decisions are made.
Costs, capacity, and how accommodation is organised
Accommodation for asylum seekers in the UK is split across two broad streams:
– Section 95 support — named for Section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 — provides free housing and a small weekly allowance when someone would otherwise be destitute while waiting for a decision. This covers the majority of placements.
– Short‑term support for refused applicants who meet strict hardship criteria, provided under separate powers, covers a much smaller number of people.
Applications for Section 95 are made on the ASF1 form. People can apply online or on paper through the Home Office portal, and charities often assist with evidence and translation.
Important links (preserved exactly as published):
– Application form and details: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-asylum-support-asf1
– General guidance on applying for asylum support: https://www.gov.uk/asylum-support/apply
Where people actually live once support is granted varies. The core model is dispersal, under which accommodation providers source homes across local authority areas and place people there, sometimes far from London or other big cities. But with claims rising and many councils citing budget pressures, providers have leaned on hotels as stopgaps — a tool first used at scale during the pandemic and later expanded.
By mid‑2025, hotels still hosted more than 32,000 people even after months of transfers into standard housing. That headline figure is lower than the September 2023 peak of about 56,000, but it remains a large slice of the estate and a visible reminder of system strain.
Backlog trends and human impact
The case backlog is the main pressure point shaping where people stay. Key statistics:
– Pending asylum cases (June 2025): about 71,000 cases — covering roughly 91,000 people — awaiting an initial decision.
– Change over time: an 18% drop from June 2024 and a 47% fall from the 2023 peak.
Faster decisions reduce the time people spend in hotels or other temporary settings. Outcomes matter:
– If a claim is granted: the person can move into mainstream housing and work; local charities can focus on integration.
– If a claim is refused: the person may move to appeal or to return planning.
Human costs are significant. Months in a single hotel room can harm wellbeing:
– Difficulty sleeping, studying, or cooking healthy meals.
– Parents worry about children missing school continuity and friends.
– Adults are unable to work while claims are pending, losing skills and confidence.
– Advocates say these conditions delay integration even for those later granted refugee status.
Local councils handle school places, GP registrations, and homelessness prevention when people move on. Responses vary:
– Some communities have welcomed arrivals, creating language classes and social groups.
– Others have protested or taken legal action, citing pressure on services.
Legal duty, operational levers, and advocacy demands
Under Section 95, the state must house people who would otherwise be destitute while their claims are processed. That legal duty means rooms cannot simply be withdrawn because they are unpopular.
Ending hotels therefore depends on two main levers:
1. Expanding safe, decent housing elsewhere.
2. Speeding up decisions so people need fewer months in state-funded beds.
Advocacy groups credit the fall in the backlog but warn that housing quality must improve. Reported issues include:
– Families sharing bathrooms with strangers and lacking kitchen access.
– Single adults facing long bus trips to legal appointments and poor mental health support.
– Calls for clear minimum standards, better communication on move dates, and post‑decision settlement support.
The Home Office’s operational responses include:
– Grouping more people in the same hotel to cut transport and staffing costs.
– Targeting lower supplier rates.
– Asking more councils to accept dispersal placements.
– Operational gains in casework with specialist teams and simplified interviews for some nationalities.
Geography, markets, and the path ahead
The politics are delicate. The government must balance:
– Controlling public spending.
– Reducing small boat crossings.
– Ensuring the system appears fair.
For families and single adults, immediate practical needs are:
– Clear information about next steps.
– Access to a GP or counsellor.
– Pathways to school places or ESOL classes.
– For single adults, timely legal advice and correct documents to avoid interview delays.
Where new arrivals first stay matters. Some are moved into large initial accommodation centres (e.g., repurposed student blocks or hostels) before dispersal. If those centres are full or contracts fail, hotels again become the backstop.
The government’s forward plan (in plain terms):
– End the use of hotels by 2029.
– Shrink the backlog further.
– Widen dispersal into private rentals across more councils.
Whether these goals are met will depend on:
– The future path of arrivals.
– Local politics and council cooperation.
– The rental market (especially in the South and East).
If private rents continue to rise faster than wages, providers may struggle to secure long‑term leases for Section 95 homes, keeping pressure on hotel use.
Signs of improvement and how to follow progress
There are reasons to be cautiously optimistic:
– The fall in pending cases since 2023 suggests investment in decision‑making is having an effect.
– Continued reduction would reduce the pool needing state housing and free funds for casework and move‑on support.
To track progress, consult official Home Office immigration statistics:
– Quarterly and yearly data collection: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2025
These figures underpin headline trends: record claims to 111,084 (year to June 2025), a large but falling backlog, and continued reliance on hotels while longer‑term housing remains in short supply.
Practical advice for people affected
If you need housing and support while your claim is considered:
1. Apply under Section 95 using the ASF1 form and keep copies of any documents you submit.
2. Ask your accommodation provider how to register with a GP.
3. Seek help from charities or community groups for translation, form assistance, and information about local services.
4. Keep evidence and records of communications about move dates, accommodation standards, and legal appointments.
Key takeaway: The system is under pressure — record claims, a large though falling backlog, and ongoing reliance on hotels. Ending hotel use requires both more housing and faster decisions, alongside better standards and clearer local coordination.
This Article in a Nutshell
Record asylum claims (111,084 to June 2025) and limited rental supply have left over 32,000 people in hotels. The Home Office spent £4.76bn in 2024–25, with 76p per pound on hotels. Reducing hotel use by 2029 depends on faster decisions, expanded dispersal into private rentals and local cooperation.
