UK Migrant Housing Scandal: £500m Set to Close Asylum Hotels!

[CharlieH]

 

Ministers have set aside £500m to invest in a "new, more sustainable accommodation model" as they scramble to close 210 migrant hotels.Ministers have set aside £500m to invest in a "new, more sustainable accommodation model" as they scramble to close 210 migrant hotels.

 

Entire streets and flat blocks are turning into asylum housing, sparking a massive outcry.

Council chiefs are up in arms over the Home Office's strategy to grab properties in deprived areas for asylum seekers. Communities in Thanet, Canterbury, Dover, and Folkestone feel the strain as housing becomes scarce for locals.

 

The government has set aside THB 21 billion (£500 million) to develop a new accommodation scheme, aiming to close 210 migrant hotels. Yet, Nigel Farage’s Reform Party leaders claim asylum contractors are snagging cheap properties, leaving locals in the cold.

In a direct letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, twelve council leaders express their outrage. The sites chosen are often in struggling communities, they argue, compounding existing pressures on public services.

 

Currently, over 32,000 asylum seekers reside in hotels, with another 66,000 in places like houses and flats. The Home Office's substantial fund aims to move these individuals out of hotels and into local communities, with consultations from local authorities.

The proposed “basic” accommodation plan involves using former student housing, closed care homes, and empty buildings temporarily for those waiting on asylum decisions. Labour wants all migrant hotels closed within four years, despite their increase since the election.

 

Lord David Hanson outlines how the Government plans to revamp accommodation practices, with potential conversions of derelict buildings. Conservatives, meanwhile, accuse Labour of exacerbating housing issues for British families.

Officials admit they've increased payments to accommodation providers amidst a challenging market. However, this hasn’t resulted in the expected growth of dispersal accommodation capacity, sparking further frustration.

Monthly meetings between the Home Office, council leaders, and accommodation providers focus on sourcing properties to integrate migrants into different communities.

 

The increase in areas hosting asylum accommodation—from 70% to 81%—has escalated pressure on local resources, from housing to schools and the NHS, stirring community tensions.

 

Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticises Labour for excessive spending on migrants, while Brits struggle for affordable housing, voice concerns over taxpayer money funding a cycle of illegal immigration reward.

Labour’s plans to process more asylum applications could lead to increased deportations of failed applicants. Collaboration with local governments aims to fine-tune the model, ensuring better outcomes for communities and taxpayers alike.

 

In summary, the UK government faces intense scrutiny over its housing policies for asylum seekers. With THB 21 billion allocated, plans persist despite significant opposition and local hardships.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Express 2025-08-11

 

 

[JonnyF]

Labour don't have a clue what to do. They are rearranging chairs on the Titanic.

 

The problem isn't whether they are in a hotel or a flat. 

[proton]

Put them in old army camps or tents, they are illegal and not entitled to anything better

[Tidal wave]

Tents they are illegal end of story

[mogandave]

I wonder how many “donors” will be getting rich off the new program.