Home Office data show record 111,000 asylum applications in the year to June and a roughly 38% increase in small boat landings year-on-year. The number of asylum seekers housed in hotels rose slightly since Labour took office but remains far below the 2023 peak. Faster processing of claims has reduced the backlog and limited pressure on accommodation. Hotel numbers decreased between March and June, and efforts to source community houses and flats have not yet increased those accommodation figures. Ministers view some elements of the strategy as working despite political sensitivity around hotel use.
This is the first data that takes into account the huge rise in small boat crossings since March. A few months ago, some people inside the Home Office had been worried that hotel use could spike as a result. But that hasn't happened. The number of asylum seekers in hotels actually went slightly down between March and June. Ministers have been trying to find alternative sources of accommodation, like regular houses and flats within communities - but those numbers haven't gone up either.
The number of asylum applications in the UK during the year to June also reached a new record of 111,000 - though the government has reduced the backlog of claims by processing them faster. In addition, in the year to June, about 38% more small boats landed on UK shores than the previous year. By processing claims more quickly, the Home Office has been able to ensure that the big rise in small boat crossings hasn't had much of an effect on asylum accommodation.
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