New figures show the number of asylum seekers housed in UK hotels has gone up by 8% since Labour took office a year ago.
By the end of June 2025, there were 32,059 people living in hotels, compared with 29,585 at the same time last year when the Conservatives were in power. That’s a small drop from March this year, but still higher overall.
This comes just days after the High Court blocked the government from using a hotel in Essex to house migrants – a decision that could encourage more local councils to mount similar legal challenges. ITV News understands as many as 24 councils are already exploring legal action over asylum hotels.
The government insists it still plans to end hotel use altogether by the end of this parliament, but ministers admit the Epping ruling has forced them to draw up “contingency plans.”
Where things stand now:
- Current hotel use: 32,059
- Peak under the Conservatives (Sept 2023): 56,042
- Labour’s promise: phase out hotels entirely
Meanwhile, small boat crossings continue to climb. In the year to June, an estimated 43,000 people arrived this way – up 38% on the year before. Boats are also carrying more people than ever, averaging 56 per vessel, with June hitting a record high of 65 per boat.
But it’s not all bad news for the government. Despite more arrivals and higher hotel use, the asylum backlog has shrunk by 18% – meaning more people are finally getting decisions on their cases. Photo by DAVID HOLT from London, England, Wikimedia commons.