Asylum Hotels and Camps Explained: How Many, Where, What They Cost

By Matt, Editor

As of the end of June 2026, 16,021 asylum seekers were being housed in hotels in the UK. That was half the number a year earlier and down from a peak of 56,018 in September 2023. The government says fewer than 160 asylum hotels remain open, compared with about 400 at the peak. It is now moving people into former military sites and large camps. This guide sets out how many asylum hotels the UK has, where the big sites are and what the system costs taxpayers. For how people arrive in the first place, see our small boat crossings explainer.

How many asylum hotels are there in the UK?

The Home Office does not publish a running list of hotels, but it does give totals. In a written statement on 29 June 2026, minister Alex Norris said just under 170 hotels were still in use, compared with about 400 at the peak in 2023. He announced 20 more closures, following 11 in April. On 12 August 2026 the Home Office said fewer than 160 remained after another 13 had shut.

The number of people in hotels has fallen faster. Official statistics show 16,021 people in hotels at the end of June 2026. That was down 50% on a year earlier and, according to LBC, the lowest since the figures were first reported in 2022. But the total on asylum support remains above 93,000, and 40,168 people were still waiting for an initial decision on their claim, the lowest level since June 2019.

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Asylum support	End June 2026	End June 2025	Peak
People in hotels	16,021	32,041	56,018 (September 2023)
People in other accommodation (mainly dispersal housing)	73,068	—	—
People on subsistence support only	4,204	—	—
Total receiving asylum support	93,293	—	—
Hotels open	Just under 170 (June); fewer than 160 (August)	—	About 400 (2023)

Where are the large asylum camps and military sites?

As hotels close, the Home Office is turning to large sites, most of them on former Ministry of Defence land. As of October 2026 the main ones are:

• Wethersfield, Essex: former RAF base housing 744 people at the end of June 2026. The government is seeking to keep it open beyond 2027 (BBC News).
• Crowborough, East Sussex: army training camp housing 418 people at the end of June 2026. The government is seeking to extend its use until 2030, according to the BBC.
• Barnham, Suffolk: former RAF site near Thetford where a revised plan would provide 931 bed spaces, cut from 1,250. No final decision has been made (BBC News). Villagers are planning their own vote: Barnham’s asylum vote.
• Bicester, Oxfordshire: MoD Bicester, proposed for up to 1,256 men through the Urgent Crown Development planning route. It faces a judicial review backed by Cherwell District Council (BBC News). Nearby Piddington held a symbolic vote against it.
• Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire: former RAF base under feasibility assessment for single adult men aged 18 to 65, for a minimum of three years. Campaign group Linton Action estimates the cost at £270.9m (BBC News), a figure the Home Office has not confirmed. See the Linton taxpayer bill.

Haslar in Gosport is different. It is an immigration removal centre for detaining people awaiting removal, including foreign offenders who have served their sentences, not asylum accommodation. The Home Office plans to reopen it in 2027 with about 130 places, rising to about 600 if a second phase gets planning permission. Hundreds marched in Gosport against the plan on 25 October.

What do asylum hotels cost?

Hotels are by far the most expensive way to house asylum seekers. According to figures in the Home Affairs Committee’s October 2025 report, a hotel place cost an average of £144.98 per person per night, against £23.25 in shared dispersal housing (The Guardian).

The National Audit Office found in May 2025 that the expected cost of the asylum accommodation contracts over ten years had risen from £4.5bn to £15.3bn. Hotels held about 35% of people in asylum accommodation but accounted for about 76% of the cost: £1.3bn of £1.7bn in the first seven months of 2024–25. In October 2025 the Home Affairs Committee concluded that billions had been “squandered” through Home Office mismanagement of asylum accommodation.

LBC reported in August 2026 that Home Office asylum spending was £4.36bn in 2025–26, down 8% from £4.76bn the year before. That figure excludes the cost of intercepting small boats. Our earlier reports covered rising hotel costs despite Labour’s pledges.

What is the government doing about asylum hotels?

Labour has pledged to close every asylum hotel by the end of this Parliament. Its plan relies on three things: faster decisions to clear the backlog, more dispersal housing in the community, and large sites like Wethersfield, Crowborough and the proposed MoD camps.

The catch is that many fast decisions are grants. Each person granted asylum leaves Home Office support but often moves to council housing and benefits. And moving people from hotels to camps changes the bill without reducing the number of people arriving.

What do supporters and critics say?

The case for the government’s approach

Ministers argue that hotel numbers have halved in a year and that large sites cost far less per night than hotels, as the Home Office’s own figures confirm. Single sites are easier to secure and manage than scattered hotels in town centres, which have been the focus of protests. Some local residents would rather see hotels in their high street closed than kept open.

The case against

Critics say the government is moving the problem from towns to villages without consulting the people who live there. Barnham, Linton and Piddington are small rural communities, and the planned sites would house hundreds of single men on their doorstep. Reform UK-run Suffolk County Council has called for a local referendum on Barnham, and Reform-run Norfolk County Council has objected. Using the Urgent Crown Development route sidesteps normal planning scrutiny. Above all, camps do nothing to stop the boats: as long as arrivals continue, any capacity freed up will be filled. Reform argues that only detention and removal will end the cycle.

Why does it matter?

Asylum accommodation costs taxpayers billions of pounds a year, at a time when the government is borrowing heavily and raising taxes. It also places pressure on communities that were never asked whether they wanted a hotel or camp on their doorstep. How the state handles it has become a test of whether ministers listen to the public on immigration. That is one reason Reform UK now runs councils in places such as Suffolk and Norfolk.

What happens next?

Final decisions are still awaited on Barnham, Bicester and Linton-on-Ouse. In answer to a written parliamentary question tabled on 19 October 2026, minister Anna Turley said no final decision had been taken on Bicester. The Bicester judicial review and a Crown Development planning inquiry into Haslar, due to open on 17 November 2026, will test the government’s plans. The next quarterly asylum statistics, covering the year to September 2026, will show whether hotel numbers have kept falling.

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Frequently asked questions

How many asylum hotels are there in the UK?

The Home Office said just under 170 in June 2026, and fewer than 160 in August 2026. At the peak in 2023 there were about 400.

How many asylum seekers are in hotels?

As of 30 June 2026, 16,021 people were in hotels, out of 93,293 on asylum support.

How much does an asylum hotel cost per night?

Figures in the Home Affairs Committee’s October 2025 report put the average at £144.98 per person per night, against £23.25 in shared dispersal housing.

Where are the asylum camps?

Wethersfield in Essex and Crowborough in East Sussex are operating. Barnham in Suffolk, Bicester in Oxfordshire and Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire are proposed, with no final decisions as of October 2026.

Is Haslar an asylum centre?

No. Haslar in Gosport is planned as an immigration removal centre for detaining people awaiting removal, opening in 2027.

When will asylum hotels close?

The government has pledged to close them all by the end of this Parliament, which must end by 2029.

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Sources

• Home Office – How many people are in the UK asylum system? (year ending June 2026)
• UK Parliament – Written statement HCWS155 on asylum accommodation (29 June 2026)
• National Audit Office – The Home Office’s asylum accommodation contracts (May 2025)
• Home Office – Thirteen asylum hotels exited (12 August 2026)
• LBC – Number of asylum seekers living in hotels halved (27 August 2026)
• The Guardian – Home Office squandered billions on asylum accommodation (October 2025)
• UK Parliament – Written question 35797 on MoD Bicester
• BBC News – Linton-on-Ouse asylum centre could cost £270m, campaigners claim
• Home Affairs Committee – Billions squandered on asylum accommodation (October 2025)
• BBC News – Barnham asylum site plan revised (October 2026)
• BBC News – MoD Bicester asylum plan
• Home Office – MoD Linton-on-Ouse factsheet
• Home Office – Haslar Immigration Removal Centre factsheet