Overview

• The Home Office has budgeted £2.2bn of overseas development assistance for asylum seeker accommodation this financial year, only slightly less than last year’s £2.3bn.
• Some 32,345 asylum seekers were housed in hotels as of the end of March, a 15% decrease from December but still accounting for three-quarters of overall accommodation costs.
• National Audit Office data projects that asylum accommodation contracts will cost £15.3bn over 10 years, far exceeding the initial £4.5bn forecast.
• The government aims to end the use of hotels by 2026 with plans to save £4bn for taxpayers but has yet to announce firm exit dates for the remaining sites.
• A petition to halt financial support for asylum seekers has surpassed 321,000 signatures, fueling public and political pressure on the Home Office.