Select Committee · Home Affairs Committee

Asylum accommodation

Status: Closed Opened: 17 Dec 2024 Closed: 22 Jan 2026 22 recommendations 24 conclusions 1 report

The Home Office has a duty to provide housing and subsistence to asylum seekers who are awaiting a decision on their claim and are destitute. Asylum accommodation is primarily delivered by private providers through the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (AASC). Home Office spending on asylum accommodation and support has increased significantly in recent …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
4th Report – The Home Office's management of asylum accommo… HC 580 27 Oct 2025 46 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

6 items
21 Recommendation 4th Report – The Home Office's manageme… Accepted in Part

Prioritise closure of unsuitable asylum hotels causing harm and significant pressure on services.

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 …

Government response. 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 …
Home Office
25 Recommendation 4th Report – The Home Office's manageme… Accepted in Part

Address Migrant Help's AIRE contract performance or find alternative service delivery

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 …

Government response. 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 …
Home Office
29 Recommendation 4th Report – The Home Office's manageme… Accepted in Part

Significant safeguarding failings persist in asylum accommodation with inadequate oversight

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 …

Government response. 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'.
Home Office
30 Recommendation 4th Report – The Home Office's manageme… Accepted in Part

Strengthen safeguarding framework, training, and oversight for asylum accommodation providers

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 …

Government response. 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 …
Home Office
36 Recommendation 4th Report – The Home Office's manageme… Accepted in Part

Develop strategy to achieve fairer asylum distribution and enhance local authority engagement and investment

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 …

Government response. 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 …
Home Office
44 Recommendation 4th Report – The Home Office's manageme… Accepted in Part

Set out and publish clear strategy for reducing asylum hotel use and delivering sustainable accommodation

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 …

Government response. 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.
Home Office

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
1 Jul 2025 Caroline O'Connor · Migrant Help, Juliet Halstead · Migrant Help View ↗
10 Jun 2025 Dame Angela Eagle DBE · Home Office, Joanna Rowland CB · Home Office, Simon Ridley · Home Office View ↗
13 May 2025 Claudia Sturt · Serco UK & Europe, Jason Burt · Mears Group, Steve Lakey · Clearsprings Ready Homes View ↗
29 Apr 2025 Alex Fraser · British Red Cross, Councillor Peter Mason · Local Government Association, Enver Solomon · Refugee Council, Frances McMeeking · Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, Megan Smith · Deighton Pierce Glynn, Natasha Beresford · Dacorum Borough Council, Paul Dennett · Salford City Council View ↗
18 Mar 2025 David Bolt · Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, Dr Lucy Mort · Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), Professor Jonathan Darling · Durham University, Sachin Savur · Institute for Government View ↗

Correspondence

6 letters
DateDirectionTitle
22 Jan 2026 To cttee Letter from Minister for Border Security relating to Stay Belvedere Hotels Ltd …
11 Nov 2025 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Border Security and Asylum regarding asylum accom…
14 Oct 2025 From the Minister for Border Security & Asylum relating to Asylum accommodation…
14 Oct 2025 From cttee Letter to the Minister for Border Security and Asylum re asylum accommodation 0…
1 Jul 2025 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Border Security & Asylum on Asylum Accommodation f…
29 Apr 2025 To cttee Letter from the Chief Executive of the Refugee Council on asylum accommodation …