Government must 'get a grip' on asylum hotels

Ministers must set out a clear strategy of how to reduce the use of asylum hotels and have a chance to end the “current failed, chaotic and expensive” system that has wasted taxpayers’ money, a committee of MPs said.

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The Government has promised to end the housing of asylum seekers in hotels by 2029 amid mounting pressure over rising costs and a backlash in local communities.

But the Home Affairs Committee has warned that a promise to appeal to popular opinion without a clear plan risks “under-delivery and consequently undermining public trust still further”.

A report just published says the Home Office has failed to share a long-term strategy for asylum seeker accommodation and repeatedly cut corners in its “chaotic” response to the pressures.

Expected costs of Home Office accommodation contracts for 2019-2029 have since tripled from £4.5 billion to £15.3 billion, after a “dramatic increase” in demand following the pandemic and rising numbers of those arriving by small boats.