The number of asylum seekers being housed in hotels has been halved in a year as Shabana Mahmood said the government is “restoring control”.
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The Home Secretary hailed the huge drop, with figures released on Thursday showing 16,021 were accommodated in hotels at the end of June – down from 32,041 a year earlier. It is the lowest figure since data was first reported in 2022. At its peak under the Tories in September 2023 – when current Reform MP Suella Braverman was running the asylum system – the number stood at over 56,000.
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A raft of data released by the Home Office also revealed that the number of people applying for asylum had dropped by 21% to 85,891 people in the year to June. Small boat arrivals accounted for 40% of that total.
It means asylum applications are at their lowest since 2022, and down from 108,585 the previous year.
Home Secretary Ms Mahmood said in a statement: “A little over two years into office and the asylum backlog is down, the number of asylum seekers in hotels is falling, illegal working arrests are at record levels, and deportations and returns are up markedly.
“Small boats numbers are also now falling, but we are not complacent and there is more we must do. That is why I have boosted enforcement on the French beaches and overseas and introduced new legislation to tackle the pull factors that draw people here through unsafe and illegal routes.
“This Government is restoring control at our border and fairness to the migration system.” The Government has pledged to end the use of asylum hotels by the end of the current Parliament in 2029.
There are currently below 160 in operation, down from over 400 at its peak. Earlier this month, borders minister Anna Turley told The Mirror that the government is focusing on moving people to large sites, including former military barracks.
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Over the summer the Home Office announced discussions have begun to explore the use of three new former MOD sites to house asylum seekers. Planning permission is being sought at MOD Bicester and MOD Barnham, while discussions are underway for MOD Linton-on-Ouse.
Between them, the government says, these new sites could eventually house around 3,750 asylum seekers. Meanwhile, the Government is seeking to extend the use of existing military sites, including Crowborough until 2030 and Wethersfield beyond 2027.
Following the release of today’s figures she told The Mirror: “Today’s figures prove we are getting a grip of the asylum system.
“The backlog we inherited is now at its lowest level since 2019 thanks to faster decision making and a fall in claims.
“This means fewer people being supported at the taxpayer’s expense and a system that is becoming smaller, fairer and more sustainable after years of spiralling demand and rising costs before we took office.
“And through our Immigration and Asylum Bill we’re going further to tackle the appeals backlog. A new Independent Immigration Appeals Authority will create a single appeals route, with claims heard quickly and fairly, ensuring people here illegally can be swiftly removed.”
There were 40,168 people waiting for an initial decision on an asylum application in the UK at the end of June 2026. This is down 56% from 90,812 a year earlier at the end of June 2025 and is the lowest number since March 2019.
New data also showed Home Office spending on asylum in the UK stood at £4.36billion in 2025/26, down 8% from £4.76billion in 2024/25 and the second annual fall in a row.
The total covers all Home Office costs related to asylum, including direct cash support and accommodation, plus wider staffing and other migration and borders activity.
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It does not include costs relating to the interception of migrants who travel to the UK across the English Channel in small boats. Spending hit a record high of £5.38billion in 2023/24.