{"id":407,"date":"2026-01-19T08:56:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T08:56:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/?p=407"},"modified":"2026-01-19T09:08:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T09:08:27","slug":"could-there-be-community-based-alternatives-to-asylum-hotels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/could-there-be-community-based-alternatives-to-asylum-hotels\/","title":{"rendered":"Could there be community-based alternatives to asylum hotels?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Behind the government\u2019s rhetoric about ending the use of hotels for asylum accommodation and pursuing alternatives like military barracks, there are also quiet moves towards more community-based solutions. Is there a real opportunity to move towards more humane ways of accommodating those seeking asylum?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id407_c5a147-dc .kb-table-of-content-wrap{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);background-color:#e7e7dd;border-top:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-right:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-bottom:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-left:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-top-left-radius:0.5rem;border-top-right-radius:0.5rem;border-bottom-right-radius:0.5rem;border-bottom-left-radius:0.5rem;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id407_c5a147-dc .kb-table-of-contents-title-wrap{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id407_c5a147-dc .kb-table-of-contents-title{font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id407_c5a147-dc .kb-table-of-content-wrap .kb-table-of-content-list{color:#1b67a1;font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;margin-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xs, 1rem);margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id407_c5a147-dc .kb-table-of-content-wrap .kb-table-of-content-list .kb-table-of-contents__entry:hover{color:#111111;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id407_c5a147-dc .kb-table-of-content-list li{margin-bottom:8px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id407_c5a147-dc .kb-table-of-content-list li .kb-table-of-contents-list-sub{margin-top:8px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id407_c5a147-dc .kb-toggle-icon-style-basiccircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id407_c5a147-dc .kb-toggle-icon-style-basiccircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id407_c5a147-dc .kb-toggle-icon-style-arrowcircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id407_c5a147-dc .kb-toggle-icon-style-arrowcircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id407_c5a147-dc .kb-toggle-icon-style-xclosecircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:after, .kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id407_c5a147-dc .kb-toggle-icon-style-xclosecircle .kb-table-of-contents-icon-trigger:before{background-color:#e7e7dd;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id407_c5a147-dc .kb-table-of-content-wrap{border-top:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-right:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-bottom:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-left:1px solid #d0d0d0;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id407_c5a147-dc .kb-table-of-content-wrap{border-top:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-right:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-bottom:1px solid #d0d0d0;border-left:1px solid #d0d0d0;}}<\/style>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can pilot schemes reshape the asylum housing system?\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adam Forrest in\u00a0<em>The\u00a0i\u00a0Paper\u00a0<\/em>is following the government scheme.\u00a0He\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/councils-turn-derelict-properties-into-asylum-seeker-housing-4124314\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">says<\/a>\u00a0that\u00a0around 200 local authorities want to take part in a pilot project that gives them money to build new housing or refurbish derelict properties for asylum seekers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pilot would allow councils to buy more properties&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;including in new housing developments where homes are&nbsp;failing to sell&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;to boost their social housing stock and reduce the reliance on private contractors. Initially, properties would be leased to the Home Office, but could later revert to social housing, with the aim of saving local authorities money&nbsp;in the long run.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Five councils have confirmed to\u202f<em>The&nbsp;i&nbsp;Paper<\/em>\u202fthat they are keen\u202fto take part: Brighton and Hove, Hackney, Peterborough, Thanet, and Powys.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bella Sankey, leader of Labour-run Brighton and Hove City Council, told\u202f<em>The&nbsp;i&nbsp;Paper<\/em>\u202fshe hoped the scheme could be the start of a systematic overhaul in asylum housing. She said the current system was \u201cinefficient\u201d in allowing taxpayers\u2019 money to be \u201ccreamed off for handsome profits by private companies\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sankey believes councils could offer new arrivals better support, since they already run adult social care, education and have strong connections to the charity sector. In the longer term&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;if the asylum backlog can be brought down&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;councils could use the new or refurbished properties for social housing, she claimed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Helen Whitehead, deputy leader of Labour-run Thanet District Council, said her local authority wanted to take part in\u202fthe pilot scheme because the current system \u201cprovides poor-quality accommodation at great financial cost\u201d.&nbsp;She added: \u201cWe welcome the potential to provide more safe and suitable temporary housing and to add to our council portfolio in doing so.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, in other areas,&nbsp;there have been concerns about the idea. Chris Read, the Labour leader of Rotherham Council, is sceptical of the prospect of \u201crenationalising\u201d asylum accommodation. He fears that anti-asylum anger&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;currently aimed at hotel owners and firms like Serco&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;could be redirected towards local leaders. An asylum hotel in Rotherham was targeted in riots last summer, with\u202fone man who tried to set fire to the place jailed. Read also argued that he would be expected to spend any extra housing funding on social housing for residents, with around 4,000 people on Rotherham\u2019s waiting list.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">George Madgwick&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;a Reform UK councillor in Portsmouth who has campaigned against asylum seekers being placed in HMO\u202fflats in his area&nbsp;\u2014&nbsp;also thinks it is a bad idea. \u201cIt\u2019s uncomfortable territory if councils were prioritising the needs of people who arrived here on small boats over those born and bred in the community,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kate Wareing, chief executive of Soha Housing Association in Oxfordshire, said she hoped the council pilot scheme is just the start. She is keen\u202ffor housing associations to take part in a wider asylum housing&nbsp;overhaul.&nbsp;Investing&nbsp;\u00a31.75bn could allow social housing providers to buy or renovate between 14,000 and 16,000 homes, according to a report Wareing co-authored last year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chris Bailey,&nbsp;of Action on Empty Housing,&nbsp;said he thought fixing up at least some of England\u2019s 300,000 long-term, decaying empty homes for asylum seekers could address two problems at once.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tim Naor\u202fHilton, chief executive of Refugee Action, said locally run housing offered a more \u201chumane, accountable and value-for-money model\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The\u00a0i\u00a0Paper<\/em>\u00a0had\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/student-halls-empty-offices-homes-converted-asylum-seekers-4146297\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">a follow-up\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0on the pilot on\u00a05\u00a0January.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Inside Housing\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidehousing.co.uk\/insight\/hotel-stays-can-pilot-schemes-reshape-the-asylum-housing-system-94215\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">reported<\/a>\u00a0that the pilots are testing various models. Councils will bring their own empty stock back into use, buy up new homes to house asylum seekers and work with the government to\u00a0identify\u00a0medium-sized sites in their areas.\u00a0<em>Inside Housing<\/em>\u00a0understands that local authorities would lease properties to the Home Office at local housing allowance (LHA) rates for a 10-year term. After this, councils would regain control of the properties, when it is hoped demand for asylum accommodation will\u00a0subside.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this&nbsp;issue, Kate Wareing&nbsp;explores&nbsp;the pilot in further detail&nbsp;and&nbsp;how it might work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Home Office\u00a0select\u00a0committee examines the management of asylum accommodation\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In\u00a0a very detailed,\u00a0120-page\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/committees.parliament.uk\/publications\/49900\/documents\/268016\/default\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">report<\/a>\u00a0published on 27 October, the Home Affairs Committee examined how the Home Office responded to the increase in demand for asylum accommodation and explored how the system could be strengthened and reformed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It argued that the Home Office needs a clear strategy for taking advantage of the break clauses in the accommodation contracts that occur in 2026. It looks in detail at options for improving the system, including decentralising it to local authorities, but considers that local authority provision could only be part of the solution. However, it calls on the Home Office to be open about the current pilot scheme with local authorities, and its results.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Refugee Action\u2019s latest report on how we house people seeking asylum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.refugee-action.org.uk\/laying-the-foundations-report-making-asylum-housing-work-by-investing-in-communities\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">A new report<\/a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;Refugee Action,&nbsp;<em>Laying the Foundations,&nbsp;<\/em>based on interviews and surveys with 38 councils in England, explores&nbsp;what&nbsp;the&nbsp;government must do to make a locally run housing system deliverable and sustainable.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report calls on&nbsp;government to:\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Build,\u202fbuy and convert social homes for\u202fpermanent community use\u202fand properly fund councils to deliver services\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restore\u202ftrust with local\u202fgovernment\u202fand work with\u202fthem\u202fto design a system\u202fin which roles are clearly defined and funded<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reform\u202fthe\u202fdispersal\u202fsystem\u202fso areas share responsibility,\u202fwith a\u202fview\u202fto introducing\u202fchoice for people seeking asylum.\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stop\u202fdemonising\u202fmigrants\u202fand foster\u202funity in towns\u202fto\u202fcreate the political space for\u202fchange.\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"662\" src=\"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/Housing-Rights-Winter-2026-Laying.png\" alt=\"Housing Rights Winter 2026 Laying\" class=\"wp-image-414\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.6797735711242315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/Housing-Rights-Winter-2026-Laying.png 450w, https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/Housing-Rights-Winter-2026-Laying-204x300.png 204w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To coincide with the report, there is an\u00a0\u2018email your MP&#8217;\u00a0action (<a href=\"https:\/\/act.refugee-action.org.uk\/page\/181811\/action\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">please fill in and share<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Build-up of pending cases reverses progress\u00a0made\u00a0to reduce\u00a0numbers housed in hotels\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The number of asylum appeals waiting to be heard by the UK\u2019s main immigration court grew by 37 per cent in the six months to\u00a030\u00a0September, setting back the government\u2019s efforts to end the use of hotels to house would-be refugees. The increase, revealed in Ministry of Justice\u00a0figures\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/tribunals-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2025\/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2025#immigration-and-asylum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">publ<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/tribunals-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2025\/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2025#immigration-and-asylum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">i<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/statistics\/tribunals-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2025\/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2025#immigration-and-asylum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shed in December<\/a>,\u00a0took the number of pending cases in the first-tier immigration appeals tribunal to 69,670, compared with 50,976 on March 31. The latest figure is more than double the 34,234 recorded on September 30 last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nao.org.uk\/reports\/an-analysis-of-the-asylum-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">new study<\/a>\u00a0by the National Audit Office attempts to quantify the causes of delay and inefficiency in the asylum system. The NAO studied a sample of 5,000 people who lodged asylum claims in January 2023. It said the Home Office\u2019s systems did such a poor job of tracking the people left in limbo \u2014 who accounted for 36 per cent of the sample \u2014 that it was impossible to say what was happening to them. Spending by councils on asylum is also \u201cpoorly understood\u201d by the Home Office.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Free Movement\u00a0<\/em>offers a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/freemovement.org.uk\/national-audit-office-publishes-analysis-of-the-asylum-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">summary and comments<\/a>\u00a0on the NAO report.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Together with\u00a0Refugees\u2019\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/togetherwithrefugees.org.uk\/welcoming-growth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">new report<\/a>,\u00a0<em>Welcoming Growth: The economic case for a fair and humane asylum system<\/em>, argues\u00a0that\u00a0refugees\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/togetherwithrefugees.org.uk\/welcoming-growth-press-release\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">could bring \u00a3266,000 each<\/a>\u00a0to the UK economy. Freedom from Torture also wants to \u201cchange the conversation\u201d on housing asylum seekers\u00a0with its\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stories.freedomfromtorture.org\/changing-the-conversation-on-asylum-housing-freedom-from-torture\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">new guide<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the\u00a0<em>Big Issue<\/em>, Krish Kandiah, from\u00a0the Sanctuary Foundation,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bigissue.com\/opinion\/refugees-immigration-krish-kandiah-sanctuary-foundation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">made the case<\/a>\u00a0for community sponsorship of refugees. She points\u00a0to\u00a0research by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.moreincommon.org.uk\/our-work\/research\/britons-and-refugees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">More in Common<\/a>,\u00a0which\u00a0shows this form of controlled and coordinated refugee resettlement is supported by the public\u00a0\u2014\u00a0even among the most migration-sceptic segments of the population.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Profiting from People: Inside the UK\u2019s Asylum Hotels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">RAMFEL\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ramfel.org.uk\/asylum-hotels-report.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">new report<\/a>&nbsp;draws on over two years of work supporting people trapped in hotel accommodation. The report uses case studies from RAMFEL clients and excerpts of doctors\u2019 notes where interventions were necessary because people\u2019s health and wellbeing were at serious risk.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It found that:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Forty-nine per cent said their room was overcrowded, with whole families of six in a single space\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eighty per cent said the food was \u201creally bad\u201d,\u00a0and\u00a0largely inedible\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thirty-four per cent had a medical condition or disability, yet none received necessary adjustments\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Seventy-five per cent raised concerns, but in 76 per cent of such cases no corrective action was taken.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"662\" src=\"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/Housing-Rights-Winter-2026-Ramfel.png\" alt=\"Housing Rights Winter 2026 Ramfel\" class=\"wp-image-413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/Housing-Rights-Winter-2026-Ramfel.png 450w, https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/Housing-Rights-Winter-2026-Ramfel-204x300.png 204w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">RAMFEL comments:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cWhile families live in crowded, mouldy hotel rooms, and are served inedible food, three big companies pocket millions.&nbsp;It\u2019s&nbsp;time to end the use of asylum hotels and invest in real homes, not corporate shareholders.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">RAMFEL\u2019s Layla Hussain\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bigissue.com\/opinion\/asylum-hotels-accommodation-profit-ramfel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">writes about the report<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0<em>Big Issue.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More on asylum seekers in hotels\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Epping Forest District Council\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c8x1wz8jz0yo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">cannot challenge<\/a>\u00a0a decision to allow the Home Office to intervene in its unsuccessful bid to block asylum seekers staying at a hotel, the Supreme Court ruled. The council won an emergency interim injunction to close the Bell Hotel to migrants in August and a ruling that the Home Office could not intervene\u00a0\u2014\u00a0but this was overturned by the Court of Appeal. The council saw its bid for a permanent injunction\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c8x1wz8jz0yo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">dismissed earlier in November<\/a>\u00a0(see also the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/bell-hotel-asylum-accommodation-a-short-briefing-on-recent-litigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">article<\/a>\u00a0by Kama\u00a0Petruczenko\u00a0in\u00a0last Autumn\u2019s newsletter).\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The government recovered \u00a374 million from excessive profits made by companies running asylum accommodation, the\u00a0<em>BBC<\/em>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c709k1zx0ljo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">revealed<\/a>\u00a0in November.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>More than 50 lone-child asylum seekers who disappeared soon after arriving in the UK and while in the care of the authorities are still missing,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/nov\/01\/more-than-50-child-asylum-seekers-still-missing-after-disappearing-from-kent-care\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">according to<\/a>\u00a0<em>the\u00a0Guardian<\/em>. Between 2021 and 2023, 132 children went missing from hotels; 24 are still missing. Between 2020 and August 2025, 213 children went missing from Kent County Council\u2019s reception centres for this group of children, with 32 still missing.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Home Office is urged to be transparent about deaths of asylum seekers in its care,\u00a0campaigners\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/dec\/14\/home-office-urged-transparent-asylum-seeker-deaths\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">tell<\/a>\u00a0<em>the\u00a0Guardian.<\/em>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plans to give asylum seekers \u00a3100 per week to leave hotels\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0work,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/danielsohege.bsky.social\/post\/3m5evurvxbc2c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">argues<\/a>\u00a0Dan\u00a0Sohege\u00a0on\u00a0Bluesky.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember to make use of the Housing Rights\u00a0website\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/hotel-evictions-what-can-we-do\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">guide<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0helping people who are evicted from hotel accommodation, written by Sue Lukes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Government moves to open more accommodation in barracks\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As refugee organisations and local politicians described plans to house tens of thousands of people in ex-military sites as \u201cfanciful\u201d and \u201ctoo expensive\u201d,\u00a0No 10\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/oct\/28\/quelling-public-disquiet-hotels-worth-extra-cost-housing-refugees-barracks-says-government\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">said<\/a>\u00a0\u201c\u2026communities\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0want asylum seekers housed in hotels, and neither does the government. Quelling public disquiet is worth the extra cost&#8230;\u201d of using barracks for asylum housing.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plans to move about 540 single men into Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex, and up to 300 into Cameron Barracks in Inverness were delayed,\u00a0the\u00a0<em>FT\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/d9d5b61d-3697-4073-a673-f2914ed11514\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">reported<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0November. Asylum camp rumours prompt \u201cfear and night vigils\u201d in Crowborough,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/dec\/11\/not-in-our-village-asylum-camp-rumours-prompt-fear-and-night-vigils-in-east-sussex\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">according to<\/a>\u00a0<em>the\u00a0Guardian.<\/em>\u00a0Regardless, the first asylum seekers are\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/dec\/22\/first-asylum-seekers-east-sussex-barracks-new-year-crowborough\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">expected to arrive<\/a>\u00a0at Crowborough early in 2026.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An inquiry into what went wrong at an asylum seeker processing centre three years ago is at a standstill,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/oct\/29\/inquiry-into-conditions-at-manston-asylum-centre-has-stalled-critics-say\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">critics have said<\/a>.\u00a0A commitment to hold an inquiry into conditions at Manston in Kent in the second half of 2022 was first made by the then home secretary in March 2024 after 18,000 people were unlawfully detained in horrific conditions. Lawyers acting for some of those unlawfully detained are calling for an end to the delays.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Napier barracks\u00a0has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2025\/dec\/18\/uk-napier-military-barracks-folkestone-asylum-seekers-closes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"\">finally closed<\/a>\u00a0after being one of the most contentious sites for accommodating asylum seekers (see past issues of the newsletter).\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Behind the government\u2019s rhetoric about ending the use of hotels for asylum accommodation and pursuing alternatives like military barracks, there are also quiet moves towards&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":422,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","slim_seo":{"title":"Could there be community-based alternatives to asylum hotels? - Housing Rights","description":"Behind the government\u2019s rhetoric about ending the use of hotels for asylum accommodation and pursuing alternatives like military barracks, there are also quiet"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asylum-accommodation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=407"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}