This year, about 30,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel, and the Government is under growing pressure to deal with the situation.
Defence Secretary John Healey has confirmed that the Armed Forces have been called in to help manage the crisis. Military planners are now working with the Home Office to find alternative accommodation for asylum seekers so that the use of hotels can be reduced and eventually stopped.
At the moment, over 32,000 asylum seekers are being housed in hotels across the country, costing taxpayers almost £6 million every single day. The Government says this is not sustainable. Military bases, old student housing, empty tower blocks, care homes, and even industrial sites are being considered as temporary housing solutions.
John Healey explained that this is no longer just the job of the Home Office, but a whole-of-government effort. He said the aim is to restore control of the borders, build public confidence, and make sure Britain handles the issue in line with its values.
He also confirmed that people who enter the country illegally will be processed more quickly and deported in larger numbers if they do not have the right to stay.
The Labour government has also made changes in leadership. Yvette Cooper has been replaced by Shabana Mahmood as Home Secretary. Prime Minister Keir Starmer reportedly made this change to “step up a gear” in handling the migration issue. Shabana Mahmood, who had success dealing with the prisons crisis, is now expected to lead the effort in closing asylum hotels and improving border control.
Meanwhile, ministers are trying to secure more international agreements to return migrants to safe countries. A deal with France is already in place, and discussions with Germany are underway.
Reform UK has also weighed in. Their head of policy, Zia Yusuf, denied rumours that their party would house migrants in shipping containers if they came to power.
Instead, he said they would use specially built steel modular units, similar to ones used in other countries, including the United States under Donald Trump. Yusuf went further, saying that British communities were being forced to adapt to what he called “Afghanistan culture,” sparking criticism during his TV appearance.
Conservatives accused Reform UK of simply copying the policies of the former government, such as the controversial Rwanda plan, which was meant to send asylum seekers either back to their home country or to Rwanda if return was not possible.
The debate around asylum seekers, hotel use, and border control has become one of the biggest political battles in the country, with millions of pounds at stake and growing tension among communities.
