UK closes 13 more asylum hotels

The UK government has announced the closure of 13 additional asylum hotels, bringing the total number of hotels closed this year to 44. The closures are expected to save taxpayers £51 million, with the government aiming to reduce accommodation costs by £224 million this year. The hotels being handed back will be returned to local communities for tourism, business, and other uses, supporting local jobs and businesses.

This move is part of the government's broader plan to end the use of hotels for asylum accommodation and relocate asylum seekers to larger, basic facilities, such as former military sites. Discussions have begun on the use of three former Ministry of Defence sites, which could eventually accommodate around 3,750 asylum seekers.

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