The cost of running the UK’s asylum system has fallen by almost £1 billion since Labour came into power, according to figures released by the Home Office.
The Labour government has made changes to the asylum system a major priority since winning the 2024 general election. The government has been under pressure to deal with the large number of asylum claims, the use of hotels to house asylum seekers and the money being spent on temporary accommodation.
One of the main areas Labour has focused on is reducing the number of hotels being used to accommodate asylum seekers. The number of hotels being used for this purpose has now fallen by around half from the peak reached in September 2023 under the previous Conservative government.
The government has said it wants to go further and completely stop using hotels to house asylum seekers before the end of the current Parliament in 2029.
Reducing the use of hotels is important because hotel accommodation has been expensive for the taxpayer. By moving people out of hotels and into other forms of accommodation, the government says it has been able to reduce some of the costs linked to the asylum system.
Another major change has been the speed at which asylum applications are being processed. Officials are now making decisions on asylum claims faster, with the number of decisions being made now higher than the number of new applications coming into the system.
This has helped the government deal with the large backlog of asylum cases that had built up over the previous years.
When asylum claims take a long time to process, people can remain in temporary accommodation for months or even longer while they wait for a decision. During this time, the government has to continue paying for their accommodation and other support.
By making decisions more quickly, the government can reduce the amount of time people spend in temporary accommodation. This can help bring down the overall cost of the system.
The government is also increasing the number of people being removed from the UK when their asylum claims have been rejected and they have no legal right to remain in the country. Officials say this is another part of the plan to make the asylum system work more efficiently.
The rise in removals, combined with faster decisions and the reduction in hotel use, has contributed to the fall in the overall cost of the asylum system.
The figures suggest that the government is making progress in some areas, although the asylum system remains a major issue in the UK. There are still thousands of people waiting for decisions, while the government continues to face pressure to reduce illegal migration and deal with asylum applications more quickly.
Labour has promised to continue making changes to the system and reduce the amount of money spent on temporary accommodation.
The government says its aim is to create an asylum system that is faster, cheaper and easier to manage, while still providing protection to people who genuinely need it.
For taxpayers, the fall of almost £1 billion in the cost of the system represents a significant change. However, the government will face continued pressure to show that the savings can be maintained and that the wider problems facing the UK asylum system are also being addressed.
