The iconic Metropole Hotel in Blackpool – a Lancashire landmark that first opened in 1785 – has closed its doors to asylum seekers and will welcome tourists again by July, as Labour claims victory in ending the town’s “migration scandal”.
Hotel to Return to Tourism Use
Local Labour MP Chris Webb confirmed the move to GB News today. Asylum seekers currently housed at the Metropole will be transferred elsewhere in the country while their claims are processed. The hotel was repurposed for migrants in 2021 under the previous Conservative government.
Labour MP: “Blackpool Will No Longer Have an Asylum Hotel”
Mr Webb said: “The Home Office are engaging now with Britannia and with Serco to rehouse these people elsewhere in the country… Blackpool will no longer have an asylum hotel. When it turned into an asylum hotel in 2021, the previous Government told us it would only be here for three months. But now we’re here in 2026, and we’ve finally closed it.”
He added that he will hold the owners to account to restore the hotel “to its former glory” ahead of the summer season.
Home Office Closes More Asylum Hotels
The closure comes hours after the Home Office shut eleven more hotels, bringing the total number in use down to 185. At the peak, around 400 hotels were being used, costing taxpayers £3 billion in 2023/24. The Government hopes the latest closures will save nearly £65 million a year.
- Metropole Hotel to reopen to tourists by July
- Hundreds of asylum seekers to be moved elsewhere
- 11 more hotels closed – total now 185
- Labour pushing to end hotel use by 2029
- Migrants moved to “more basic accommodation” including military barracks
Reform UK: Just Moving the Problem
Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman said it is “absolutely shocking” that the Government is “boasting about moving illegal migrants from one form of taxpayer-funded accommodation to another. Thousands have already invaded Britain this year, and more will follow unless Reform UK is in government. We would detain and deport every illegal migrant.”
What This Means for Britain
While Labour celebrates the return of a historic hotel to tourism use, the underlying issue remains: asylum seekers are simply being relocated rather than removed. Blackpool is the latest town to see its community and tourism impacted by the small boat crisis, with migrants moved to other sites including military barracks.
Reform UK argues that closing hotels is not a solution if the boats keep coming. The party demands immediate action to stop the crossings, end hotel use permanently and deport those with no right to remain — putting British taxpayers and British communities first.
Share if you believe hotels should be for tourists, not asylum seekers.
This article is a factual summary of reporting by GB News. Full original story available on their website. All quotes directly attributed.
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