Breaking down UK asylum accommodation statistics

People seeking asylum in the UK are often moved between various types of accommodation while their claims for protection are being processed.

- IAN JONES

On Monday, the Home Office said it is planning to use two military sites - Cameron Barracks in Inverness and Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex - as contingency accommodation, as part of efforts to reduce the number of asylum seekers in hotels.

Here we outline how the system works and reveal the number of asylum seekers being housed in accommodation funded by the government.

Why does the government provide accommodation for asylum seekers?

The UK government is legally bound to house asylum seekers unable to afford their own accommodation while their claims are processed. This responsibility is mandated by the 1999 Immigration and Asylum Act. For eligibility, individuals must have left their country and be unable to return due to fear of persecution, according to the Home Office.

Claims cannot be made from outside the country in which the claimant wishes to seek asylum. This is why someone seeking asylum in the UK has to already be here, in the country, before they can make a claim. Most claimants have travelled to the UK to seek asylum and do not have the means to support themselves or have somewhere to live while their claim is being processed.

Not all asylum seekers will need support or accommodation, however. Some are likely to be self-sufficient or to receive support from family or friends, though exact numbers are not published, according to analysis by Oxford University’s Migration Observatory.

In what kind of accommodation are asylum seekers housed first?