Conflicting Trends Emerge in UK Immigration Data
Newly released government statistics paint a complex picture of the UK's immigration landscape, revealing a significant increase in the number of asylum seekers being housed in hotels, even as official net migration figures show a sharp decline. The data, released on Thursday, 27th November 2025, highlights the ongoing challenges facing the asylum system.
Rising Asylum Hotel Numbers Defy Government Pledge
According to the latest Home Office data, there were 36,273 people staying in temporary hotel accommodation in September 2025 while awaiting decisions on their asylum claims. This marks a substantial 13% increase compared to the figure from June and also represents a rise from the same point last year, when 35,628 asylum seekers were in hotels.
This increase occurs despite the government's firm pledge to end the use of hotels for asylum seekers entirely by 2029. The government insists it has made progress, stating it has halved the number of hotels in use since coming to power, from 400 down to approximately 200.
A Home Office spokesman responded to the figures, stating: "There are now fewer than 200 in use and we will close every single one. Work is well under way to move illegal migrants into military bases to ease pressure on communities across the country."
Steep Decline in Net Migration Recorded
In a seemingly contradictory trend, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported another significant fall in annual net migration. The measure, which calculates the difference between people entering and leaving the UK, dropped by 69% year-on-year to its lowest level since 2021.
For the year to June 2025, net migration was estimated at 204,000. This compares to 649,000 in the previous 12 months and a record high of 944,000 in the year to March 2023.
Mary Gregory, ONS executive director for population and census, commented on the decline: "The fall is largely due to fewer people from outside the EU arriving for work and study-related reasons, with a steep decline in the number of dependants and a continued, gradual increase in levels of emigration."
She added that non-EU-plus net migration has more than halved, with emigration largely driven by Indian and Chinese nationals who originally arrived on study visas.
Political Reactions and Local Tensions
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood welcomed the net migration figures but acknowledged the strain it has placed on communities. "The pace and scale of migration has placed immense pressure on local communities," she said. "Last week, I announced reforms to our migration system to ensure that those who come here must contribute and put in more than they take out."
Meanwhile, the issue of housing asylum seekers continues to generate local opposition. The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, became the centre of a series of protests over the summer. This week, Epping Forest District Council confirmed it would seek to appeal against a High Court ruling that allowed asylum seekers to be housed at the hotel.
The financial burden remains a key concern, with hotel accommodation for asylum seekers estimated to have cost the taxpayer around £3 billion a year in 2023-24, according to Home Office figures.
Despite the recent increase, the number of asylum seekers in hotels has fallen significantly from its peak of 56,018 at the end of September 2023 under the previous Conservative government. It had dropped to a record low of 29,561 in June 2024 just before the general election.
