The UK government plans to phase out the use of taxpayer-funded hotels for asylum seekers by 2029, aiming to save £1 billion. This move includes relocating asylum seekers to larger, more cost-effective sites like Wethersfield airbase in Essex. While this strategy aims to reduce the £15.3 billion projected cost of asylum hotel contracts over ten years, there is significant local opposition expected. Donors and rights groups have expressed concern over the treatment of asylum seekers, while government officials assure compliance with planning permissions and community consultation.
The taxpayer cost of asylum hotels has rocketed in recent years, with total accommodation contracts now set to be worth 15.3bn over a 10-year period.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Wethersfield site couldn't be "seen as either a sustainable solution for housing asylum seekers nor value for money for the taxpayer."
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