How has the number of asylum seekers in hotels changed under Labour?

During an interview with Conservative shadow policing minister Matt Vickers on Times Radio [1:55:00] this morning, there appeared to be some confusion over how the number of asylum seekers being housed in hotels has changed since the general election.

Mr Vickers claimed that “the number of people in hotels was going down” prior to the election.

In response, presenter Stig Abell said that the number of people in hotels was “still going down”—a claim Mr Vickers described as “factually untrue”.

Mr Vickers is correct, according to the latest published data. The number of asylum seekers being housed in contingency accommodation in hotels had decreased for three consecutive quarters prior to Labour coming to office, and stood at 29,585 at the end of June 2024 (approximately 29% of all asylum seekers in receipt of support from the government).

The latest official immigration figures only cover the period up to the end of December 2024, but they show that the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels had increased by approximately 29% during Labour’s first six months in government, to 38,079 (approximately 34% of all those in receipt of support).

We’ve asked the Home Office to confirm the latest figure for the number of hotels being used to house asylum seekers. As of 13 January, the number had increased from 213 at the time of the general election, to 219 (though border security minister Angela Eagle said in January that several were due to close in the coming months).

In its election manifesto, Labour said it would “end asylum hotels”—we’re covering the government’s progress on this pledge in our Government Tracker.