Government in major asylum seekers move after migrant hotels pledge | Politics | News
It is understood that between 8,000 and 10,000 people living in shelters have the right to work due to the visas they currently hold. There are also around 9,000 people who are entitled to work because they have been waiting 12 months or more on their asylum application, but not all of them are in Home Office accommodation.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, who has cut support for thousands of immigrants, plans to start evacuating people from hotels in the spring. The Labor Government is trying to make progress on dropping the asylum bill. i paper reports.
According to the latest available figures, around 36,000 refugees were being housed in hotels at the end of September; The Ministry of Internal Affairs says fewer than 200 hotels are currently in use.
The Government has pledged to phase out the use of hotels for migrants by the end of this Parliament, as Sir Keir Starmer seeks to contain the migrant crisis.
It is understood that efforts are continuing to move refugees to accommodation such as military bases in order to relieve the pressure on communities.
Reports have also emerged in recent weeks that a deal has been struck with Germany and that the Government’s one-in-one, one-out deal with France has been further extended.
Refugees from Syria may also face deportation to their home countries, as the government considers it safer to do so after the Assad regime is overthrown at the end of 2024.
A Labor source said: “The Home Secretary is a woman in a hurry. She is working tirelessly to deliver these reforms to restore order and control at our borders.”
A Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesman said: “This government is ending its mandate to provide taxpayer-funded support to immigrants who are self-supporting or who break the law. “Those who have income or assets will now be required to contribute to the cost of their stay, and we are considering whether to remove benefits altogether for those who do not make economic contributions.”
Last year around 41,472 people crossed the English Channel in small boats; Although this was the second-highest annual total in history, it was still below the peak year of 2022, when there were 45,774 crossings. In 2026, which was damaged by harsh and freezing weather conditions, only 32 people have crossed so far and arrived on a single boat on January 5.
