The number of asylum seekers being housed in hotels has fallen to its lowest level since the government began publishing data on hotel use in 2022, according to new Home Office statistics.
At the end of June, 16,021 asylum seekers were living in hotel accommodation – a 50% reduction compared with the same point last year, and a 70% fall from the peak of 56,018 recorded in September 2023. The figures mark a significant shift in the use of hotels, which became a major pressure point during the height of the asylum backlog.
The Labour government has pledged to end hotel use entirely by the end of this parliament, arguing that the system is costly, unsuitable and contributes to delays elsewhere in the asylum process.
Mahmood: “The backlog is down and hotels are falling”
Responding to the figures, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the data showed clear progress in restoring order to the asylum system.
“A little over two years into office and the asylum backlog is down, the number of asylum seekers in hotels is falling, illegal working arrests are at record levels, and deportations and returns are up markedly,” she said.
Mahmood added that while the number of small‑boat arrivals had begun to decline, ministers were “not complacent”.
“Small boats numbers are also now falling, but we are not complacent and there is more we must do. That is why I have boosted enforcement on the French beaches and overseas and introduced new legislation to tackle the pull factors that draw people here through unsafe and illegal routes.”
She said the government was “restoring control at our border and fairness to the migration system”.
What the latest Home Office data shows
The quarterly statistics, which reflect the position as of June and therefore do not include any changes made under Andy Burnham’s tenure, outline broader trends in the asylum system:
- 16,021 asylum seekers were housed in hotels — down from 32,041 a year earlier.
- 85,891 people applied for asylum in the UK — a 21% decrease from 108,585 the previous year.
- Home Office spending on asylum fell to £4.36bn in 2025–26, down 8% from £4.76bn in 2024–25.
- 40,168 people were awaiting an initial asylum decision — a 56% drop from 90,812 a year earlier.
- 42,394 people were granted refugee status or another form of leave to remain — down 21% from 53,480 the previous year.
The figures suggest that both the asylum backlog and reliance on hotel accommodation have continued to decline, though the number of grants of protection has also fallen.
Ministers say reducing hotel use remains a central priority, with efforts focused on clearing the backlog, expanding alternative accommodation and tightening enforcement against illegal routes.