Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 43
43
Acknowledged
Government lacks fully articulated plan to reduce asylum hotel use
Conclusion
The Government has committed to ending the use of hotels to house asylum seekers by the end of this Parliament. Ministers have yet to set out a fully articulated plan with clear milestones for how the Government will deliver a significant reduction in the use of hotels while maintaining flexible capacity in the system. We recognise that the Home Office faces an extremely difficult task, and there are no quick or easy solutions to ending the use of hotels. Due to the inherent unpredictability of the need for asylum accommodation, use of hotels as Contingency Accommodation has proved an essential backstop in the system for years. This experience suggests that it is unwise for the Government to box itself in by ruling out options. The Government must be honest about the challenges it faces if it is to avoid undermining public confidence still further by making commitments that it cannot expect to keep. (Conclusion, Paragraph 187)
Government Response Summary
The government reiterates its commitment to ending hotel use by the end of Parliament, citing progress in reducing numbers, and states it is reviewing its long-term accommodation strategy, but will not publish specific timelines for closures.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
As outlined in the Asylum Policy Statement, exiting all asylum hotels as soon as possible is one of the Department’s top priorities, as it will contribute to removing the incentives which draw people to the UK illegally. Significant progress has already been made, reducing hotel usage from over 400 at their peak in the summer of 2023 to 197 in use as of 5th January 2026. For safety, security, and operational reasons, the department does not comment on individual hotels or the timing of closures. We will take a balanced and evidence-based approach towards making decisions about the locations that we will use and how we will exit hotels. We will continue to engage closely with local authorities as plans develop. We do not want to be in a situation where, without an alternative ready, we start exiting hotels before it is time to do so or publish timeframes that are unrealistic and do not account for fluctuations in demand. The Home Office is committed to deliver the Prime Minister’s commitment to end the use of hotels as asylum accommodation as soon as possible, and before the end of this Parliament. This is a complex programme of work that requires concerted cross-government effort and must be managed in an orderly and controlled manner. We will update the Committee of the progress in due course. We are reviewing our long-term accommodation strategy in light of the publication of the government’s recent Restoring Order and Control statement. The Home Office is working in collaboration with other government departments to deliver a range of accommodation sites, including military sites, that contribute to a more flexible estate. This will complement ongoing Home Office reforms to the asylum accommodation estate.