Asylum Hotel Population Falls by 50% as 16,021 People Remain in Hotels
There were 16,021 supported asylum seekers in hotels at the end of June 2026, a 50% annual fall, according to Home Office statistics.
By Keep Updated UK Newsroom
Published:
The number of supported asylum seekers living in hotels across the United Kingdom fell to 16,021 at the end of June 2026, according to figures published by the Home Office on 27 August.
This represents a 50% reduction compared with June 2025 and a 71% reduction from the September 2023 peak of 56,018 people.
The figures indicate a substantial change in the use of hotel accommodation within Britain's asylum system.
Where are asylum seekers being accommodated?
At the end of June 2026, 93,293 individuals were receiving asylum support from the government.
The figures show:
- 16,021 people were living in hotel accommodation.
- 73,068 were housed in non-hotel accommodation.
- 4,204 were receiving subsistence support only.
Non-hotel accommodation includes dispersed housing and other temporary accommodation arrangements.
Hotel residents accounted for approximately 17% of all individuals receiving asylum support.
What about former military sites?
The government has also been using former military facilities as part of its accommodation strategy.
The latest official figures recorded 744 people at the Wethersfield site in Essex and another 418 at Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex at the end of June.
The use of alternative accommodation raises questions about suitability, local services, operating costs and the long-term approach to housing asylum seekers.
Does a reduction in hotels mean lower spending?
A fall in hotel occupancy is relevant to the government's accommodation expenditure, but occupancy figures alone cannot establish the amount saved.
Overall spending depends on accommodation contracts, staffing, transport, support services and other operating costs.
Any claim about savings therefore needs to be assessed against published expenditure records rather than simply multiplying the number of residents by an assumed daily hotel cost.
What do the figures not tell us?
The latest published figures represent a snapshot from 30 June 2026, not the number of asylum seekers in hotels today.
They also do not show the current occupancy of every individual hotel or identify the exact operating cost of each property.
The Home Office continues to face the challenge of supporting those eligible for assistance while progressing asylum applications, appeals and returns.
Keep Updated UK will continue examining the use of asylum accommodation, the public money involved and the impact on local communities.
Sources & Further Information
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