Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has vowed to close every migrant hotel by the next General Election.
The number of migrants living in hotels revealed (Image: Getty)
The number of migrants living in hotels has fallen as Labour moves more asylum seekers into communities across Britain. But bombshell figures show a staggering 68,719 are now living in houses, flats and bedsits – including large HMOs – in communities across the country. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has vowed to close every migrant hotel by the next General Election.
New figures released by the Home Office show 20,885 are living in taxpayer-funded venues, down sharply from the peak of 56,000 in 2023. This means a total of 97,519 are having their accommodation paid for them by taxpayers. It is the first time it has dropped below 100,000 in more than two years.
Labour wants to use more former military bases for asylum accommodation and convert former hospitals, student digs and office blocks into homes for migrants.
And they could pay councils to buy up homes across the country, which would then be leased out to asylum accommodation providers. Once the asylum crisis is over, they would form part of the housing stock.
Some 93,525 people claimed asylum in the year to March, which is down from 106,130 in the previous 12 months.
Eritreans, Afghans, Iranians, Sudanese and Somalis accounted for almost three-fifths of all small boat arrivals.
This is a breaking story. More to follow.