(UK) Newsrooms across Britain have zeroed in on asylum seeker hotel figures because they sit at the heart of a record year for claims, heavy public spending, and intense politics.
As of 30 June 2025, 32,059 asylum seekers were housed in hotels — down from the September 2023 peak of more than 56,000 but higher than June 2024. In the year to June 2025, 111,084 people submitted asylum claims, the highest since records began in 2001. That mix of high demand, visible hotel use, and rising costs has turned a dry data point into a weekly test of government progress.
Current trends and what they mean
The latest trend paints a mixed picture.
- Hotel numbers have fallen since December 2024, yet the year‑on‑year count is still about 8% higher.
- Small boat crossings remain a major driver, with more than 50,000 people arriving so far in 2025.
Money keeps the issue on the front page. The Home Office spent an estimated £4.76 billion on the asylum system in the last year, with about 76% of that going on hotel accommodation.
- Officials estimate a hotel night costs around £170 per person, compared with roughly £27 for other types of housing.
- With those figures, each week in hotels adds up to tens of millions of pounds, so every delay in moving people into longer‑term homes has a direct budget impact.
Key takeaway: visible hotel use + high costs + record claims = a politically and financially charged metric that drives media and public scrutiny.
Why the hotel numbers dominate headlines
Politically, the hotel tally has become a scoreboard.
- Labour, in office since 2024, promised to end hotel use by 2029.
- Home Secretary Yvette Cooper says the government has “strengthened Britain’s visa and immigration controls, cut asylum costs, and sharply increased enforcement and returns.”
- The Conservatives argue the situation is worsening; Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp says there are “more immigrants in hotels than at the time of the election.”
Charities and local leaders highlight the human and community impacts.
- Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, warns “there’s still far too many people in hotels,” leaving families in limbo and stirring tensions in some communities.
- Local leaders and residents have protested both the use of hotels and the plan to move people into residential streets under full dispersal.
- Some councils have launched legal challenges, arguing that local services are already overstretched.
The media focus is partly driven by visibility: hotels in towns that previously had little contact with the asylum system now receive coach arrivals. Every new data release sparks questions:
- Are ministers reducing the backlog?
- Are cheaper housing options becoming available?
- Is the burden being shared fairly across the country?
Policy developments and accommodation strategy
In January 2025, the government introduced the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill 2025, aiming to toughen border security, target organised immigration crime, and overhaul parts of the system.
- The bill would repeal the Safety of Rwanda Act 2024 and raise penalties for smuggling.
- It does not create new powers on asylum accommodation or change the rules on permission to work.
- Official bill documents are published on the Home Office website: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/border-security-asylum-and-immigration-bill-2025
Policy choices on housing are evolving separately.
- Ministers have kept the full dispersal policy to shift people from hotels into homes, but progress depends on local supply and cooperation.
- The backlog remains significant: about 109,500 people were awaiting a decision at the end of March 2025, down from roughly 124,000 three months earlier, but still high historically.
- Until faster decisions are achieved, pressure on accommodation will continue.
Expert diagnosis and sector responses
Experts broadly agree on the diagnosis—though not on the remedy.
- The Migration Observatory (Oxford) identifies the backlog and shortage of long‑term housing as the root causes of heavy hotel use, warning current costs are unsustainable.
- Groups such as Asylum Matters call for community‑based housing and argue that hotels, barracks, and barges are harmful and expensive.
- Most people claiming asylum cannot work while waiting; some may be allowed restricted work after 12 months. This limitation sustains dependency on support and often lengthens stays in temporary housing.
On the ground, the consequences are concrete and often distressing:
- Families share rooms without kitchens.
- Teenagers miss school places while addresses change regularly.
- Communities may feel unsettled when large hotels convert to full‑time asylum use.
- Conversely, many communities respond with volunteering and donations.
- Police and health services face new demands while working with tight budgets.
The road ahead — three moving pieces
What happens next will depend on three interlinked factors:
- Hotel counts: Numbers have been edging down since December 2024, but the year‑on‑year rise shows how hard it is to reverse momentum quickly.
- Local housing supply: Many councils oppose new dispersal sites and available housing is limited.
- The 2029 end‑date: Labour’s target to end hotel use is a political commitment with practical hurdles, including:
- hiring and retaining staff,
- speeding up caseworking,
- securing enough homes at acceptable prices.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the hotel figure is now the single number most voters use to judge whether the system is improving or deteriorating.
Why the media will keep watching
The public asks straightforward questions that the hotel figures help answer:
- How many people are in hotels tonight?
- What is it costing?
- Is the backlog falling?
These simple measures have real‑world effects: if fewer people are in hotels, costs fall and tensions ease; if numbers rise, councils face more pressure and ministers encounter tougher scrutiny.
That is why a single line in a spreadsheet can drive the news cycle. When officials report 32,059 people in hotels or 111,084 asylum claims in the last year, editors know those figures will lead bulletins and front pages. When a bill before Parliament focuses on border crime but leaves accommodation policy unchanged, campaigners argue ministers are “fighting the wrong fire.”
Until decisions are faster and homes are available, the hotel line will remain the shorthand for the wider system. The media will keep watching it, councils will plan around it, and the families seeking safety will feel the consequences most keenly.
This Article in a Nutshell
Visible hotel stays have become Britain’s asylum metric. With 32,059 people in hotels and 111,084 claims to June 2025, costs near £4.76bn. Political promises to end hotel use by 2029 face housing shortages, backlogs and local resistance, keeping the hotel figure central to public debate.
