Migrants are now sleeping outside Westminster Cathedral in central London as the number of people arriving in the UK in small boats continues to rise.
About 50 individuals, most of them from Eritrea, are spending the nights on the cathedral steps using cardboard and sleeping bags to stay warm. Some have even set up tents. Locals say the group has grown over the past three months from just a handful to dozens now.
Security guards show up early each morning to move the group before church services begin. However, the migrants usually just shift their belongings to a nearby tree and return later in the day. Most of them say they came to the UK across the Channel in small boats and now want to be placed in hotels funded by the government.
Homelessness among migrants has sharply increased over the past year. More than 9,000 people have made the dangerous journey across the Channel in 2025 so far—a record for this time of year. Sadly, a man recently died during one of these crossings, bringing this year’s total number of deaths to eight.
The growing number of people staying outside Westminster Cathedral is raising more questions about how the UK handles asylum seekers and accommodation. Church officials acknowledge the issue and say they’re working with local authorities to help in any way they can, including connecting people with support services.
Meanwhile, political leaders are blaming each other for the current crisis. Some Conservative MPs argue that the Labour government has failed to control immigration and scrapped key policies that could have prevented the current situation, like the Rwanda deportation plan. They say public services are stretched, and the UK can’t handle this level of migration.
Others are calling for tighter immigration rules, including tougher conditions for getting permanent residency and citizenship. Some experts and MPs have also expressed concerns about the impact on local communities, especially in areas where housing and schools are already under pressure.
Housing migrants in hotels is extremely costly over £5.5 million per day with each hotel stay costing around £145 per night. That’s far more expensive than other forms of accommodation, like shared houses or flats, which cost around £14 per night. Local councils say this has worsened the housing crisis because private landlords now prefer to rent to government contractors, leaving less available housing for UK residents.
The latest data shows that over 9,000 people have crossed the Channel in just four months 42% more than the same time last year, and almost double the number from 2023. These types of high daily crossings are usually seen during summer, but this year, they’re already happening as early as April.
One of the most heartbreaking incidents occurred recently when a man died on a boat during a Channel crossing. Emergency teams rushed to help him, but sadly, he passed away before reaching shore. Authorities are now investigating to find out what happened and to identify the man so his family can be informed.
This situation highlights the growing pressure on the UK’s asylum system and the urgent need for both compassionate and practical solutions.
