--- title: "UK hotel asylum seeker numbers fall 50% to 16,021" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/uk-hotel-asylum-seeker-numbers-fall-50-to-16021" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/uk-hotel-asylum-seeker-numbers-fall-50-to-16021" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/uk-hotel-asylum-seeker-numbers-fall-50-to-16021.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/uk-hotel-asylum-seeker-numbers-fall-50-to-16021" category: "Politics" area: "United Kingdom" published: "2026-08-27T12:46:42.322Z" source_reported: "2026-08-27T12:04:08.000Z" updated: "2026-08-27T12:46:42.322Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-27T14:00:27.251471+00:00" --- # UK hotel asylum seeker numbers fall 50% to 16,021 *Home Office figures show a significant decrease in hotel accommodation for asylum seekers.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports and multiple digests corroborate the fall in hotel numbers, with figures attributed to the Home Office. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Reports clearly separate facts from comment and provide context on the figures and government pledges. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headlines and opening paragraphs focus on the fall in hotel numbers, with less emphasis on other data. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The number of asylum seekers in UK hotels dropped by 50% to 16,021 in June 2026, the lowest figure since 2022. - Asylum support costs fell by 8% to £4.36 billion in 2025-26. - The number of people awaiting an initial asylum decision decreased by 56% to 40,168 by June 2026. - Asylum seekers in dispersal accommodation rose to 69,038 in June 2026. The number of asylum seekers temporarily housed in UK hotels fell by 50% year-on-year to 16,021 by the end of June 2026. This figure is the lowest recorded since data collection began in 2022. Concurrently, the number of asylum seekers in dispersal accommodation increased to 69,038 in June 2026, a rise from 66,234 in the previous year. Overall asylum support costs decreased by 8% to £4.36 billion in the 2025-26 financial year, following a similar reduction in the preceding year. The number of individuals awaiting an initial asylum decision also saw a substantial decrease, falling by 56% to 40,168 by the end of June 2026. ## Disagreement on hotel numbers peak The Evening Standard reported that the number of hotels used for asylum seekers has fallen to below 160, down from a peak of around 400 under the Conservatives. The Daily Mirror stated that the number of hotels in operation is below 160, down from over 400 at its peak. The Independent (US) digest noted the total had climbed as high as 56,018 at the end of September 2023. The Daily Mirror also stated that at its peak under the Tories in September 2023, the number of asylum seekers in hotels stood at over 56,000. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated digests mention the figure of 16,021 asylum seekers in hotels as the lowest figure since data was first reported in 2022, a fact reported by the centre-rated Evening Standard. None of the left-rated digests mention the specific figure of 69,038 asylum seekers in dispersal accommodation in June 2026, a figure reported by the centre-rated Evening Standard. None of the left-rated digests mention the specific figure of 40,168 people waiting for an initial asylum decision by the end of June 2026, a figure reported by the centre-rated Evening Standard. The right-rated digest did not mention the 50% year-on-year decrease in asylum seekers housed in UK hotels, nor the overall decrease in asylum support costs. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 60% (4) - Centre: 20% (1) - Right: 20% (1) 1 of 7 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-27T14:00:27.251471+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-27T14:30:18.859Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports highlighted the 50% year-on-year decrease in asylum seekers housed in UK hotels, with The Daily Mirror and The London Economic stating the number had halved. The Daily Mirror and The Independent (US) digest noted the figure of 16,021 asylum seekers in hotels at the end of June 2026. The Daily Mirror and The Independent (US) digest also mentioned that the number of asylum seekers in hotels peaked at over 56,000 in September 2023, with The Daily Mirror attributing this to Suella Braverman's time running the asylum system. The Daily Mirror reported that the government has pledged to end the use of asylum hotels by the end of the current Parliament in 2029 and that the number of hotels in operation is below 160. The Daily Mirror also detailed plans for new former military sites to house asylum seekers. ### Centre - The centre-rated Evening Standard report led with the headline figure of 16,021 asylum seekers in UK hotels, a 50% decrease year-on-year. It detailed the rise in dispersal accommodation numbers and the overall decrease in asylum support costs. The report quoted Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stating the figures showed the government was "restoring control at our border and fairness to the migration system." It also included comments from Dr Nuni Jorgenson of the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory, who noted that the government had made progress by making asylum decisions faster, but that the main challenge was now the appeals backlog in the courts. The report also mentioned the decrease in asylum applications and an increase in enforced and voluntary returns of migrants who arrived in small boats. ### Right - The right-rated GB News digest focused on the surge in asylum seekers dispersed across Britain, stating the number exceeded 73,000. The digest also mentioned the release of new immigration data by the Home Office. It did not include the figure for asylum seekers in hotels or the overall decrease in asylum support costs. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 3 - high: 2 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/uk/home-news/shabana-mahmood-echr-government-home-office-b3040191.html) — Number of asylum seekers living in hotels halved - [Unknown](https://eurointegration.com.ua/news/2026/08/27/7244306) — The Number of Asylum Seekers Temporarily Living in Hotels Has Fallen by a Record in Britain - [The London Economic](https://thelondoneconomic.com/news/number-of-asylum-seekers-housed-in-hotels-drops-by-50-in-a-year-409204) — Number of asylum seekers housed in hotels drops by 50% in a year - [Evening Standard](https://standard.co.uk/news/politics/government-shabana-mahmood-home-office-french-press-association-b1294816.html) — Number of asylum seekers in hotels down 50% - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/asylum-seekers-hotels-migrants-small-boats-labour-b3040181.html) — Number of asylum seekers housed in hotels halves and small boat crossings slashed - [GB News](https://gbnews.com/news/migrant-crisis-asylum-seekers-dispersed-new-immigration-data) — Asylum seekers dispersed across Britain surge beyond 73,000 as Home Office releases swathes of new immigration data - [Daily Mirror](https://mirror.co.uk/news/politics/asylum-seekers-hotels-shabana-mahmood-37598424) — Number of asylum seekers in UK hotels down by 50% in a year ## Questions **How many asylum seekers were housed in UK hotels at the end of June 2026?** At the end of June 2026, there were 16,021 asylum seekers housed in UK hotels. This figure represents a 50% decrease compared to the previous year and is the lowest number recorded since data collection began in 2022. **What were the overall asylum support costs in 2025-26?** Overall asylum support costs for the 2025-26 period decreased by 8% to £4.36 billion. This follows a reduction in the previous financial year and indicates a downward trend in spending on asylum support. **How has the number of people waiting for an asylum decision changed?** The number of people waiting for an initial asylum decision fell significantly by 56% to 40,168 by the end of June 2026. This is the lowest number recorded since March 2019. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/uk-hotel-asylum-seeker-numbers-fall-50-to-16021. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "UK hotel asylum seeker numbers fall 50% to 16,021", https://mediabias.news/politics/uk-hotel-asylum-seeker-numbers-fall-50-to-16021