Hundreds of people living in asylum hotels in the United Kingdom have been forced to vacate the premises as the government begins closing them, following Prime Minister Keir Starmer's pledge to end the use of hotel accommodations before the next election.
As of April this year, the government has closed 11 asylum hotels, with more expected to follow in the coming weeks.
Home Office Minister Alex Norris said the move aims to reduce the number of people attempting to enter the UK through the English Channel for illegal work.
He added that these hotels were originally intended as short-term accommodation for asylum seekers under the previous government, but became widely used over time, costing taxpayers billions and contributing to tensions in local communities.
In recent years, the hotels have been the subject of numerous anti-migrant protests, some of which have turned violent. Protesters have claimed that asylum seekers are living in luxury conditions.
The government said that around 30,000 asylum seekers are currently being housed in nearly 200 hotels, while others are accommodated in alternative settings such as shared housing or military barracks.
'We are shutting them down by moving people into more basic accommodation, scaling up large sites, and removing record numbers of people with no right to remain,' the minister said.
Norris added that closing the hotels is expected to save the government £65 million ($87.1 million) annually.
The closure of the 11 hotels has reduced the total number of hotels used for asylum accommodation to 185.
Which Hotels Have Been Closed?
The Home Office said the 11 hotels that have been closed are: Banbury House Hotel in Oxfordshire, which had been the focus of protests; Citrus Hotel in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire; Marine Court Hotel in Bangor, County Down; a Holiday Inn near Heathrow; Britannia Hotel in Wolverhampton; Madeley Court Hotel near Telford; OYO Lakeside in St Helens, Merseyside, which was vandalised in December; Crewe Arms Hotel in Crewe; Sure Hotel in Aberdeen; and both the Rock Hotel and the Wool Merchant Hotel in Halifax.
Where Are Displaced Residents Being Moved?
According to Norris, the government plans to expand the use of 'large, basic accommodation sites' to house displaced asylum seekers.
A report by The Guardian said some individuals have been moved to a military camp in Crowborough, East Sussex.
Another report stated that the Home Office will hold a so-called 'industry day' for current and potential accommodation providers. The private event will introduce a new contract, known as the Future Asylum Accommodation Contracts, aimed at reducing reliance on hotels.
Political Reactions
Some politicians and refugee advocacy groups have expressed concern. Imran Hussain of the Refugee Council said large military sites are not suitable alternatives, arguing they may be more expensive than hotels and could isolate asylum seekers.
Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson agreed that closing asylum hotels benefits both communities and asylum seekers, but said, 'it doesn't fix the problem; it just moves it elsewhere'.
Reform UK home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf also criticised the move, saying, 'the government is boasting about moving illegal migrants from one form of taxpayer-funded accommodation to another'. He added that if Reform UK comes to power, it would detain and deport all illegal migrants in the country.
