Billions squandered on asylum hotels because of Home Office incompetence'

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"Ministers and civil servants have become heavily reliant on the costly use of hotels for asylum accommodation, creating huge contracts for providers with little accountability or oversight, MPs from the Home Affairs Committee have warned. In a damning new report published on Monday, MPs said that the projected cost of the Home Office's asylum accommodation contracts between 2019-2029 has more than tripled, from 4.5bn to 15.3bn."

"Millions of pounds in excess profits are owed to the government by two accommodation providers, but the Home Office have yet to reclaim this money, the report found. Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, Dame Karen Bradley, said urgent action is needed to lower the cost of asylum accommodation and address the concerns of local communities. Migrant hotels became flashpoints of protest over the summer after an asylum seeker in Epping, Essex, sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl. Epping council sought to close down the hotel,"

Donations fund on-the-ground journalism covering reproductive rights, climate change, and Big Tech while keeping reporting freely accessible without paywalls. A major parliamentary report found billions of pounds were squandered on asylum hotel contracts due to Home Office mismanagement and incompetence. Ministers and civil servants became heavily reliant on costly hotel accommodation, creating large contracts with limited accountability. The projected cost for asylum accommodation between 2019 and 2029 rose from £4.5bn to £15.3bn. Two accommodation providers owe millions in excess profits that remain unreclaimed. MPs called for urgent action to reduce costs and address local community concerns after protests and a serious assault linked to a migrant hotel.

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