"The use of hotels to house asylum seekers has been controversial since it became widespread at the start of the Covid pandemic. Anti-migrant protesters have staged demonstrations outside hotels, claiming asylum seekers are living a life of luxury there."
"Refugee NGOs say hotels are unsuitable for long-term accommodation, and a parliamentary investigation found the government had squandered billions on a failed, chaotic and expensive system."
"The new contract, known as Future Asylum Contracts Accommodation, is valued at approximately 10bn and aims to move away from reliance on hotel accommodation."
"Senior sources among the Home Office's current accommodation providers have raised concerns that the new contracts will significantly increase the number of contractors, could bake in inefficiency and end up costing taxpayers more."
The Home Office is set to close 11 asylum hotels, part of a commitment to eliminate such facilities by the end of the current parliament. The use of hotels for asylum seekers has faced criticism, with protests claiming they live in luxury. Currently, nearly 200 hotels house 30,000 asylum seekers, while over 70,000 reside in shared housing or military barracks. NGOs argue hotels are unsuitable for long-term stays, and a parliamentary investigation revealed significant government waste. A new contract for asylum accommodation aims to reduce hotel reliance, but concerns about inefficiency and costs persist.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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