Work to tackle chaos is 'going up a gear', says defence chief

THE use of military barracks to house asylum seekers will be ramped up to hasten the closure of migrant hotels, Defence Secretary John Healey has said.

- BY DAVE BURKE Political Correspondent

Mr Healey has confirmed that defence chiefs have held talks about using MoD sites to temporarily house refugees who cross the Channel on small boats.

Pressure is mounting on PM Keir Starmer to get people out of hotels faster than by 2029, as he has pledged.

Mr Healey said the government was “going up a gear” to tackle the asylum chaos Labour inherited from the Tories.

New Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who replaced Yvette Cooper in a reshuffle on Friday, is expected to take a hardline approach to emptying asylum hotels.

Mr Healey revealed that all departments have been told they must do their bit to help.