Asylum seekers risk becoming homeless if they refuse accommodation under plans to end the use of expensive hotels.

Announcing the policy on Friday, the Home Office said some migrants were “gaming the system” by resisting efforts to move them into alternative housing without a valid reason.

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The new Failure to Travel policy means housing support will be removed from those who block transfer requests.

The Home Office said this will “ensure individuals who are moved from hotels to suitable alternative accommodation must take it”.

They added: “Those who refuse to move without a valid reason will now risk losing their housing and support. It is a firm but fair approach, aimed to end abuse of asylum support and contribute towards the closure of costly hotel accommodation.

“While the government has a duty to support all asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute in appropriate accommodation, the new policy establishes clear consequences for those who game the system whilst protecting the vulnerable.”

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There would be several steps before stripping someone of accommodation – with it being a last resort, Sky News understands.

It follows a week of unrest outside a hotel in Epping used to house asylum seekers.

Several demonstrations have been held outside the Bell Hotel since 13 July, after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl.

Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, from Ethiopia, denied sexually assaulting the 14-year-old girl at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court last week and will stand trial in August.

On Thursday Epping council unanimously voted to urge the government to shut the site.

Ministers are under pressure to restore order amid fears of further unrest, like that seen in Southport last summer.

Image:
Protesters near the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.

Labour has pledged to end the use of asylum hotels by the end of this parliament, a move chancellor Rachel Reeves has claimed will save £1bn a year.

However there is a question mark as to how this will be achieved as Channel Crossings continue to rise. Nearly 20,000 migrants made the journey to the UK in the first six months of this year, a rise of almost 50% on the number crossing in 2024 and a new record for the first half of a year.

Ministers say they inherited a “broken system”, with 400 hotels being used to accommodate asylum seekers at the peak of the crisis under the Tories, costing £9 million per day.

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: “We inherited an asylum system on the brink of collapse – mismanaged, under strain, and costing the public a fortune. We are getting a grip.

“We are working to close hotels, restore order, and put fairness and value for money at the heart of our asylum system. This government is making those necessary decisions to protect the taxpayer and uphold the integrity of our borders.

“These reforms to the Failure to Travel policy are another example of this government’s action to transform the asylum accommodation system and crack down on those who abuse our system, so it operates fairly and saves the taxpayer money.”