The UK government is accelerating efforts to dismantle its reliance on hotels for asylum seeker accommodation, closing 11 sites as part of a wider strategy to replace them with larger facilities and repurposed military bases amid rising costs and political pressure.
The restructuring of the UK’s asylum accommodation system is continuing, with ministers shifting away from hotel use in favour of larger-scale sites and former military bases.
According to government figures, the closure of 11 hotels forms part of a phased plan to end what was initially intended as temporary hotel provision but has become a central component of the asylum system.
Around 30,000 asylum seekers are currently housed in approximately 200 hotels across the country. Officials say the move towards alternative accommodation has already reduced hotel usage by nearly 20% over the past year.
At the same time, the Home Office is preparing to retender long-term contracts for migrant accommodation, with the programme estimated to be worth around £10bn. The new agreements are expected to run from 2029 to 2036.
The government says the reforms are driven by the need to reduce costs, which currently reach about £8m per day, as well as to improve overall efficiency in the system.
The transition has drawn criticism from MPs and human rights organisations, who have described the previous reliance on hotels as expensive and ineffective. Ministers, however, maintain their intention to fully phase out hotel use by the end of the current parliamentary term.
