Between April and June 2023, there were 100,995 asylum seekers receiving help from local authorities across the UK, according to new figures from the Home Office. This is a significant increase, nearly 50%, compared to the 68,747 asylum seekers supported from July to September 2021.
Most of these asylum seekers were provided with some form of accommodation, with only 4,353 receiving just financial assistance for living expenses. Over a third of asylum seekers in 2023 arrived by crossing the Channel.
The information was shared after Baroness Hoey, a member of the House of Lords, asked which local councils were supporting the most asylum seekers and how much funding they were receiving. In response, Lord Hanson provided data showing that the number of asylum seekers supported by local councils reached 123,758 by September 2023. The northwest region had the most asylum seekers receiving help (19,606), followed by London (18,044), and the West Midlands (10,517).
In contrast, Northern Ireland supported the fewest asylum seekers (2,530), while Scotland helped 5,546 and Wales provided assistance to 3,290. These figures are consistent with the support each region has provided in recent years.
Since 2023, the Home Office has been working to reduce the cost of asylum accommodations by moving people out of hotels and into longer-term housing. Local councils have been paid £750 per bed space for asylum seekers since April 2023.
The government has said it is committed to improving the asylum system to make it faster and fairer, while reducing the use of costly hotels and making better use of public funds.
