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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 … Show more

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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

3 items
33 Recommendation 4th Report – The Home Office's manageme… Rejected

Long-term contingency hotel use remains unfairly excluded from asylum distribution planning

The use of hotels for asylum accommodation was intended to be a short- term, contingency measure and consequently people in Contingency Accommodation do not “count” towards the Home Office’s plans for the distribution of asylum seekers across the country. In practice, there are Contingency hotels that have been open in … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees it needs to account for contingency accommodation in overall planning, but explicitly rejects the recommendation to directly include contingency accommodation in National Allocation Plans for Dispersal Accommodation, citing concerns it would limit procurement of needed dispersal sites.
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Home Office
34 Recommendation 4th Report – The Home Office's manageme… Rejected

Amend indexing tool for asylum distribution, accounting for contingency accommodation and local factors

We recommend that the Home Office amends the indexing tool used to develop targets for the distribution of asylum seekers across the country so that it accounts for use of Contingency Accommodation. We also recommend that the Home Office ensures that accommodation providers take account of existing Contingency and Dispersal … Read more

Government response AI summary
The Home Office is reviewing its indexing tool but rejects the recommendation to directly account for Contingency Accommodation in its plans, arguing it would limit increasing Dispersal Accommodation. However, it does require providers to consider existing Dispersal Accommodation when proposing new sites.
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Home Office
38 Recommendation 4th Report – The Home Office's manageme… Rejected

Implement reforms to ensure local impact assessment, improved notice periods, and consistent data sharing

We recommend that the Home Office implements a package of reforms to ensure that the impact of asylum accommodation on local areas is accounted for, including by: a. Ensuring that impacts on local services are adequately assessed by providers prior to accommodation being procured; b. Providing local authorities with at … Read more

Government response AI summary
The Home Office states it already considers impacts on local areas via an indexing model and has issued data sharing guidance to providers. However, it does not address providing 28 days' notice for new Contingency Accommodation and, after a pilot, reverted to a 28-day notice …
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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, Dame Angela Eagle MP · 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 ↗

Who gave evidence

20 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Alex Fraser · UK Director – Refugee Services and Restoring Fami… British Red Cross 1
Caroline O'Connor · Chief Executive Officer Migrant Help 1
Claudia Sturt · Prisons and Immigration Director Serco UK & Europe 1
Councillor Peter Mason · Leader, London Borough of Ealing Local Government Association 1
Dame Angela Eagle DBE · Minister for Border Security and Asylum Home Office 1
Dame Angela Eagle MP · Minister for Border Security and Asylum Home Office 1
David Bolt · Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigr… Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration 1
Dr Lucy Mort · Senior Research Fellow Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) 1
Enver Solomon · Chief Executive Officer Refugee Council 1
Frances McMeeking · Assistant Chief Officer for Operational Care Serv… Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership 1
Jason Burt · Group Director of Health Safety & Compliance Mears Group 1
Joanna Rowland CB · Director General, Customer Services Home Office 1
Juliet Halstead · Deputy Director of Asylum Services Migrant Help 1
Megan Smith · Solicitor Deighton Pierce Glynn 1
Natasha Beresford · Interim Strategic Director – Housing & Property S… Dacorum Borough Council 1
Paul Dennett · City Mayor Salford City Council 1
Professor Jonathan Darling · Professor in Human Geography Durham University 1
Sachin Savur · Researcher Institute for Government 1
Simon Ridley · Second Permanent Secretary Home Office 1
Steve Lakey · Managing Director Clearsprings Ready Homes 1

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 cttee Letter to the Minister for Border Security and Asylum re asylum accommodation 0…
14 Oct 2025 — From the Minister for Border Security & Asylum relating to Asylum accommodation…
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 …