UK asylum hotel numbers halve in a year, Home Office figures show

The UK Home Office released figures showing that the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels halved from over 32,000 in June 2025 to over 16,000 in June 2026. There were also falls in legal migration arrivals, asylum claims, and small boat arrivals compared to a year earlier. Asylum claims fell by a fifth to 86,000, and small boat arrivals were 33,000 in the year to June. The Home Office attributed the changes to its migration policies, while opposition parties offered differing responses. The number of asylum claimants awaiting an initial decision fell to 40,000, down from a peak of 175,000 in June 2023. Removals of those with no right to stay rose by 8% to 40,000, including a record number of failed asylum seekers. Work visas fell by 18% to 235,000, and student visas fell by 11% to 383,000.