Number of asylum seekers in hotels halves in a year

In June 2025, more than 32,000 asylum seekers were housed in hotels, but this number had decreased to over 16,000 by June 2026, according to data from the Home Office. Additionally, legal migration arrivals, asylum claims, and small boat arrivals to the UK have also decreased compared to the same period last year. The Home Office attributed these figures to the effectiveness of their migration control policies, but acknowledged there is still work to be done, particularly regarding small boat crossings.

Illegal boat arrivals were detected at a rate of 38,000 in the year ending June 2026, with 33,000 of those crossing the English Channel from France. Asylum claims also fell by a fifth, with a total of 86,000 applications, down from the previous year's total of 103,000. Among these, 86% were from individuals who were already residing legally in the UK, rather than those who arrived via small boats.

The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, reported a reduction in the asylum backlog, a decrease in illegal working arrests, and an increase in deportations and returns. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp claimed that Labour is successfully moving illegal immigrants out of hotels and into flats. Reform UK's home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, pledged to stop illegal boats in the Channel using the Navy and deport all those found in the country illegally.

The Liberal Democrats' Home Affairs Spokesperson, Max Wilkinson, argued that moving people out of hotels into other accommodation is not a sufficient solution and called for Labour to join the EU migration pact. The number of people residing in homes funded by the Home Office increased from 65,000 at the end of 2024 to 69,000 in June 2026.

Meanwhile, 40,000 asylum seekers were removed from the country in the year to June 2026, marking an 8% increase from the previous year.