Recommendations & Conclusions
6 items
21
Recommendation
4th Report – The Home Office's manageme…
Accepted in Part
When planning the closure of the hotels, the Home Office should prioritise the closure of manifestly unsuitable hotels—such as those in remote areas and near limited infrastructure—that cause the most harm to their residents and place the most pressure on local services, and also the closure of hotels in areas …
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When planning the closure of the hotels, the Home Office should prioritise the closure of manifestly unsuitable hotels—such as those in remote areas and near limited infrastructure—that cause the most harm to their residents and place the most pressure on local services, and also the closure of hotels in areas that have experienced significant community cohesion issues. The Home Office should work with local partners to develop a prioritisation process to support the early closure of the least suitable hotels. (Recommendation, Paragraph 89) Communication with asylum seekers
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Government response AI summary
The government committed to closing asylum hotels as soon as possible, with current usage reduced, and will coordinate closures with local partners considering various factors. However, it did not explicitly commit to developing a specific prioritisation process for the early closure of manifestly unsuitable hotels.
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Home Office
25
Recommendation
4th Report – The Home Office's manageme…
Accepted in Part
The Home Office should take urgent action to address the performance of Migrant Help. If Migrant Help is unable to fulfil the Advice, Issue Reporting, and Eligibility (AIRE) contract to an acceptable standard, the Home Office should find an alternative provider or consider alternative ways of delivering the essential services …
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The Home Office should take urgent action to address the performance of Migrant Help. If Migrant Help is unable to fulfil the Advice, Issue Reporting, and Eligibility (AIRE) contract to an acceptable standard, the Home Office should find an alternative provider or consider alternative ways of delivering the essential services provided under this contract. (Recommendation, Paragraph 108)
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges Migrant Help's contractual obligations and monitoring, stating improvements have been made and they are working closely with the provider; it also confirms it retains the right to consider alternative providers or delivery models if standards are not met, and is reviewing performance …
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Home Office
29
Recommendation
4th Report – The Home Office's manageme…
Accepted in Part
We are deeply concerned by the volume of evidence indicating significant safeguarding failings in asylum accommodation. While there are evidently pockets of localised good practice, the response to safeguarding concerns is inconsistent and often inadequate, leaving vulnerable people at risk of harm. We are particularly concerned that the Home Office …
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We are deeply concerned by the volume of evidence indicating significant safeguarding failings in asylum accommodation. While there are evidently pockets of localised good practice, the response to safeguarding concerns is inconsistent and often inadequate, leaving vulnerable people at risk of harm. We are particularly concerned that the Home Office does not currently have adequate understanding and oversight of vulnerabilities and potential safeguarding issues among asylum seekers it accommodates. While accommodation providers have safeguarding requirements, performance on safeguarding is not measured and failure to meet these requirements does not lead to financial penalties for providers. It is essential that the Home Office works to ensure that vulnerable people in its accommodation are safeguarded and that providers are upholding safeguarding standards. (Conclusion, Paragraph 120)
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges safeguarding's importance, detailing a revised Safeguarding Framework (Aug 2025) and a Public Protection and Safeguarding Programme to improve oversight, but notes that contractual performance measures and auditing for financial penalties are currently 'under review for future development'.
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Home Office
30
Recommendation
4th Report – The Home Office's manageme…
Accepted in Part
We recommend that the Home Office strengthens its approach to safeguarding by: a. Ensuring that there is a robust framework for overseeing and auditing how safeguarding policies and processes are applied on the ground by contractors and subcontractors; b. Ensuring that staff working directly with asylum seekers receive adequate safeguarding …
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We recommend that the Home Office strengthens its approach to safeguarding by: a. Ensuring that there is a robust framework for overseeing and auditing how safeguarding policies and processes are applied on the ground by contractors and subcontractors; b. Ensuring that staff working directly with asylum seekers receive adequate safeguarding training; c. Setting performance measures for safeguarding in the contracts, which allow the department to penalise providers who fail to meet safeguarding standards; d. Urgently reviewing its processes for identifying risks and vulnerabilities and sharing these with accommodation providers and statutory partners; and e. Using the data it receives through the Safeguarding Hub to more proactively monitor safeguarding concerns, including outcomes of incidents and referrals. (Recommendation, Paragraph 121) 102 Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children
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Government response AI summary
The Home Office updated its safeguarding framework in August 2025 and established a Public Protection and Safeguarding Programme to improve risk management and communication. However, specific elements like contractual performance measures and wider auditing are currently outside scope and remain under review for future development.
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Home Office
36
Recommendation
4th Report – The Home Office's manageme…
Accepted in Part
We recommend that the Home Office set out the steps it will take to overcome barriers to the delivery of a fairer distribution of accommodation and improve engagement with local authorities on how best to address barriers to procurement. Local authorities are the experts on their areas, and the Home …
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We recommend that the Home Office set out the steps it will take to overcome barriers to the delivery of a fairer distribution of accommodation and improve engagement with local authorities on how best to address barriers to procurement. Local authorities are the experts on their areas, and the Home Office should consult them on price caps for procuring accommodation. The Home Office should work with local authorities and Strategic Migration Partnerships to understand where spending on asylum accommodation can be invested in local housing and bring benefits to local communities, such as through renovating existing housing, repurposing appropriate buildings, fixing void accommodation, or building new housing. The Home Office should ensure that the future contracts provide them with stronger levers to direct providers to procure accommodation in line with Home Office requirements. (Recommendation, Paragraph 155) 104 Pressure on local services
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Government response AI summary
The Home Office states it already works with local authorities and Strategic Migration Partnerships to address procurement barriers and plans for future contracts to include stronger levers to direct providers. However, it does not specifically address consulting on price caps or investing in local housing.
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Home Office
44
Recommendation
4th Report – The Home Office's manageme…
Accepted in Part
We recommend that the Government set out a clear, credible strategy for how it will reduce the use of asylum hotels and deliver a sustainable system of asylum accommodation. This strategy should include a realistic timeframe and achievable milestones to ensure that the Home Office has enough time to implement …
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We recommend that the Government set out a clear, credible strategy for how it will reduce the use of asylum hotels and deliver a sustainable system of asylum accommodation. This strategy should include a realistic timeframe and achievable milestones to ensure that the Home Office has enough time to implement its strategy, in anticipation of the 2026 break clause and the end of the contracts in 2029. The outcome of the pilots being conducted to inform the strategy should be shared with the Committee. The Government should publish details of its overarching strategy for delivering asylum accommodation—in the interests of transparency and accountability—and share detailed plans with key partners, whose engagement will be crucial to its successful implementation. (Recommendation, Paragraph 188)
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the need to exit hotels, reiterates its commitment to do so by the end of Parliament, and states it is reviewing its long-term accommodation strategy but will not publish specific timeframes or detailed plans for operational reasons.
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Home Office