Hotel Migrants Face Spring Evictions as Home Office Tightens Asylum Support Rules

Summary: The Home Office is reported to be preparing a spring crackdown to remove hotel accommodation and weekly support from certain asylum seekers, as ministers push to close more asylum hotels and cut costs. The plans would target people deemed able to support themselves, those breaching rules, and those refusing removal directions.

Home Office plans to begin hotel evictions in spring

The Home Office will reportedly start evicting some asylum seekers from hotels in the spring, as the Government attempts to reduce reliance on taxpayer-funded accommodation.

According to reports, the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, wants faster hotel closures and tighter rules on who qualifies for state-funded support.

Who could lose accommodation and weekly payments

The reported proposals would focus on asylum seekers assessed as able to support themselves financially but choosing not to.

Other groups said to be in scope include people who have a right to work, those who break the law or work illegally, and those who refuse to comply with an order to leave the UK.

The central policy shift would be to end the Government’s automatic duty to support all destitute asylum seekers, replacing it with more conditional support tied to behaviour and eligibility.

How many people are affected

The changes are expected to allow the Home Office to withdraw support from thousands of people currently receiving payments or accommodation.

Reports cite a total of 111,651 people receiving some form of Home Office support, while around 36,000 asylum seekers were housed in hotels as of the latest available figures.

The Home Office has said fewer than 200 hotels are now being used for asylum accommodation.

What else is being considered

Ministers are also reported to be looking at alternative accommodation to replace hotels, including former military barracks and houses of multiple occupation.

Diplomatically, the Government is said to be considering expanding “one-in, one-out” returns arrangements with France and pursuing a new agreement with Germany.

Separately, asylum seekers from Syria could face removals if ministers continue to judge conditions safer following the fall of the Assad regime at the end of 2024.

Political messaging and border numbers

The reported plans land amid pressure on Labour to show visible results on small-boat crossings and the overall asylum bill.

“The Home Secretary is a woman in a hurry. She is working tirelessly to introduce these reforms to restore order and control to our borders.”

Official figures cited in reporting put last year’s small-boat crossings at 41,472, the second-highest annual total on record, below the 2022 peak of 45,774.

So far in 2026, reports cite 32 arrivals in a single boat on January 5.

What happens next

Further hotel closures are reported to be expected by April, with the Home Office aiming to demonstrate progress over the coming months.

However, even under tougher eligibility rules, many asylum seekers are still likely to remain entitled to support, meaning the overall impact will depend on how eligibility tests are defined and enforced.