- The Refugee Council proposes ending the use of asylum hotels within six months by offering a one-off temporary reprieve to asylum seekers from countries with high grant rates, such as Afghanistan, Syria, and Iran.
- This measure would allow thousands of migrants, currently housed in hotels at a cost of approximately £5.77m per day, to live and work in the UK while their applications are reviewed.
- The charity cites a precedent from the 1997 Labour government, which granted exceptional leave to nearly 30,000 asylum seekers to clear backlogs.
- However, Jack Straw, who was home secretary at the time, says he regrets the previous amnesty as a "pull factor," and some Labour figures deeming it a "non-starter" in the current political climate.
- The Home Office states it has already reduced the number of asylum hotels significantly and aims to close all remaining ones by the end of the current parliament.
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