PM's pledge to 'empty asylum hotels sooner'

PRIME Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he “completely” gets concerns about migration, and insisted he wanted to speed up efforts to empty asylum hotels before the next election.

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The Government has committed to empty all hotels currently housing migrants by the end of the Parliament, which could be as late as 2029, but the Prime Minister suggested he wanted to “bring that forward”.

Sir Keir spoke to the BBC about his desire to grip the small boats crisis, as Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is set to unveil reforms to the border security and asylum system on Parliament's first day back from its summer break.

Discontent with how the Government has managed the small boats crisis and housed migrants in hotels has led to a wave of protests over the summer, and criticism from Labour's political opponents.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Matt Chorley, the Prime Minister said he understood the concerns about migration, describing them as a “really serious issue”.