The head of the Home Affairs Committee has urged the government to “get a grip” on the UK’s asylum accommodation system after a report found the Home Office repeatedly cut corners in its “chaotic” response to pressures.
The government has promised to end the housing of asylum seekers in hotels by 2029 amid mounting pressure over rising costs and a backlash in local communities.
But a damning report published by the Home Affairs Committee on Monday warns a promise to appeal to popular opinion without a clear plan for alternative accommodation risks “under-delivery and consequently undermining public trust still further”.
The report says: “The Home Office has undoubtedly been operating in an extremely challenging environment, but its chaotic response has demonstrated that it has not been up to the challenge.
“The 2026 break clause and end of the contracts in 2029 represent opportunities to draw a line under the current failed, chaotic and expensive system and move to a model that is more effective and offers value for money.”
Dame Karen Bradley, chairwoman of the Home Affairs Committee, called for the government to “get a grip” on the system and learn from its mistakes, or it is “doomed to repeat them”.
She said: “The Home Office has not proved able to develop a long-term strategy for the delivery of asylum accommodation. It has instead focused on short-term, reactive responses.”
Expected costs of Home Office accommodation contracts for 2019-2029 have recently tripled from £4.5bn to £15.3bn, after a “dramatic increase” in demand following the COVID…
