Image caption, The Crewe Arms Hotel in Cheshire is one of those that will no longer house asylum seekersByKate Whannel, Political reporter and Katy Austin, Political correspondentPublished14 April 2026 Eleven hotels will no longer be used to house asylum seekers, bringing the total number down to 185 from a peak of around 400. Home Office Minister Alex Norris said the fall was due to increased removals of people with no right to stay in the UK and housing others in alternative sites such as military barracks. He said asylum hotels had been a "point of significant frustration" for local communities as well as acting as pull factor, encouraging people to come to the UK illegally. The Conservatives said the government was "shunting people from hotels into residential apartments to hide what is going on". Asylum seekers are not normally allowed to work in the first 12 months while they are waiting for their asylum claim to be processed and if they cannot secure their own place to live, the Home Office is legally required to house them.
Published: April 14, 2026 6:01 pm
Source: BBC — Read original