UK Closes 13 More Hotels Used to Accommodate Asylum Seekers

The United Kingdom government has announced the closure of 13 additional hotels being used to accommodate asylum seekers, saying the facilities are being returned to local communities for tourism, business and other purposes.

The closures, announced by the Home Office on Wednesday, bring the total number of asylum hotels closed in April, June and August to 44, leaving fewer than 160 hotels still in use.

The government estimates that the latest closures will save taxpayers £51 million, bringing the expected savings from hotel closures this year to £224 million. It also said asylum accommodation costs have fallen by almost £1 billion since the 2024 general election.

The hotels being returned to normal use are located in areas including Blackpool, Nottingham, Stratford-upon-Avon, Lewisham, Bradford and Norwich. Officials said the move would support local businesses and employment by allowing the hotels to resume normal commercial activities or be converted for other purposes.

The closures are part of the government’s broader plan to end the use of hotels for asylum accommodation and move asylum seekers into larger, basic facilities, including former military sites.

The Home Office said discussions had begun on using three former Ministry of Defence sites at Bicester, Barnham and Linton-on-Ouse. The sites could eventually accommodate around 3,750 asylum seekers.

Planning permission is being sought for MOD Bicester and MOD Barnham, while discussions continue over MOD Linton-on-Ouse. The government is also seeking to extend the use of existing military sites, including Crowborough until 2030 and Wethersfield beyond 2027.

Immigration Minister Anna Turley said the government was determined to permanently end the use of hotels for asylum accommodation.

She said the reforms were aimed at restoring control over the UK’s immigration system, reducing accommodation costs and speeding up asylum decisions and removals.

The Home Office also announced a new 24-week target for deciding asylum and immigration appeals involving people in accommodation and foreign national offenders. This compares with a current average waiting time of 67 weeks.

According to the government, record numbers of asylum decisions have been made since July 2024, while nearly 70,000 migrants have been removed.

The latest closures mark another step in the UK government’s effort to eliminate the use of hotels for asylum accommodation.