Labour Under Fire as Borders Watchdog Blasts Inaction on Asylum Hotels Crisis

Labour is struggling to come up with a clear strategy to end the asylum accommodation crisis, according to the borders watchdog. David Bolt, the interim independent chief inspector of borders, has warned that the Home Office is at risk of frustrating communities due to a lack of clarity on how it intends to move away from housing migrants in taxpayer-funded hotels.

Despite Labour’s General Election pledge to shut down asylum hotels, the reality is that asylum seekers will still be staying in them for years to come. Bolt confirmed this, stating that there’s no immediate end in sight, reported the Express.

Speaking to MPs, he said: “It was dealing with a crisis. The numbers were going up dramatically, it was trying to find a way of managing that. At one point, the answer seemed to be large sites. And that was the direction that was going in and that was the direction the prime minister was taking it in 2022.”

“Now, it has obviously changed direction from large sites to small and medium sites, though I’m not entirely sure exactly what that means.”

“But that’s the shift. It’s a shift as far away from hotels, although I think the permanent secretary has indicated that that’s not going to happen for a number of years.” “I’m not entirely clear what its strategy is. If it has one, it hasn’t articulated it in a way that I’ve been able to understand it.”

The number of migrants housed in hotels has climbed, with Home Office figures showing 38,079 people in temporary accommodation—despite Labour’s commitment to end their use. This is up from 35,651 last September and 29,585 last June, before Labour took power.

When asked whether Labour’s approach was unclear, Bolt responded: “It goes to the way in which it deals with stakeholders, local authorities and others around what the requirement might be for accommodation in particular locations.”

“If there isn’t that absolute clarity, then it is difficult to have those conversations and it’s difficult to have those early enough to be able to take on board all of the issues those discussions ought to cover.” Labour, however, has defended itself by blaming the previous government for leaving behind a “broken” asylum system, insisting it is now deporting more people than ever.

Applications for asylum have surged, with 108,138 people applying in 2024—the highest number for any 12-month period since records began in 2001. This comes alongside a 25% increase in cross-Channel arrivals, with small boat crossings reaching 37,000 in 2024.

Meanwhile, 124,802 people are still waiting for an initial decision on their asylum applications, leaving them in limbo. Ministers admitted that 220 hotels are being used to house asylum seekers, with six more added since the election. The cost of these hotels has hit £5.4 million a day, sparking anger among MPs, who warn that it is fueling tensions in local communities and harming local economies.

Bolt also shed light on the struggles faced by migrants living at the former RAF base in Wethersfield, Essex. He said many of them “had no sense of time” and were struggling with mental health issues due to the uncertainty over their futures.

“Those men know they can’t be there for more than 90 days. They have a degree of certainty about their future.” “I sat about a group of about 20 of them and they were quite jolly.” “They knew to the day when they were going to be moving.”

However, he contrasted this with the situation at the Bibby Stockholm, where migrants had no idea how long they had been there, describing it as having a significant impact on their mental health and wellbeing. With no clear roadmap from Labour, the crisis shows no signs of slowing down—and taxpayers are footing an ever-growing bill.