The number of asylum seekers housed in hotels has halved over the past year, with figures released today by the Home Office showing a significant reduction. In June 2025, more than 32,000 individuals were accommodated in hotel rooms, a figure that dropped to over 16,000 by June this year.
The Home Office data also indicates a decrease in legal migration arrivals, asylum claims, and small boat arrivals to the UK compared to a year ago. Asylum claims were down by a fifth, with 86,000 people seeking asylum in the year to June 2026. Approximately half of these applications came from individuals already legally in the UK.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that the figures demonstrate the effectiveness of migration control policies, though she added that more work is needed on small boat crossings. The number of asylum claimants awaiting an initial ruling on their case stands at 40,000, down from a peak of 175,000 in June 2023.
In the year to June 2026, 40,000 individuals found not to have a reason to be in the UK were removed, an 8% increase on the previous year. This included foreign offenders, visa overstayers, and failed asylum applicants. Work visas issued by the Home Office also saw a decline, down 18% on the previous year to 235,000.