According to The Times, the accommodation of illegal migrants in hotels in the UK will continue for several more years. This is outlined in a document prepared by the UK’s Office for the Optimal Use of Financial Resources (OVfM). The publication states that migrants will continue to live in hotels and other temporary housing for many years.
The main reason for this is “global instability,” which is expected to lead to a further influx of migrants into the country and increased demand for temporary housing. At the same time, government plans to build 1.5 million homes in England by 2029 are expected to reduce the reliance on hotels for housing asylum seekers.
Authorities also plan to review current agreements with companies such as Serco, Clearsprings Ready Homes, and Mears, which are responsible for finding housing for migrants. These contracts, signed in 2019, are valued at £4.6 billion, and according to the OVfM document, the companies have earned record profits, leading to accusations of profiteering. In the future, the government plans to focus more on effectively managing expenses and controlling the operations of these companies.
Moreover, according to the UK’s National Audit Office (NAO), the cost of accommodating one migrant in a hotel is £145 per night. Currently, over 38,000 migrants are living in hotels, costing the Home Office £5.5 million daily.
The number of illegal migrants arriving in the country continues to rise: in 2024, over 36,800 people arrived by boat across the English Channel, a 25% increase compared to the previous year. A record was set in 2022, when more than 45,700 migrants arrived in the UK.
