Asylum accommodation

Home Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 17 Dec 2024 Closed: 22 Jan 2026 Parliament page
The Home Office has a duty to provide housing and subsistence to asylum seekers who are awaiting a decision on their claim and are destitute. Asylum accommodation is primarily delivered by private providers through the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (AASC). Home Office spending on asylum accommodation and support … Read more
22 Recommendations
24 Conclusions
1 Report
5 Oral sessions
6 Letters
5 Events
Activity timeline 18 events
22 Jan
2026
Report published
22 Jan
2026
Correspondence
11 Nov
2025
Correspondence
27 Oct
2025
Report published
14 Oct
2025
Correspondence
14 Oct
2025
Correspondence
1 Jul
2025
Oral evidence
1 Jul
2025
Correspondence
1 Jul
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
10 Jun
2025
Oral evidence
10 Jun
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
13 May
2025
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
1 Jul 2025
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Caroline O'Connor · Migrant Help Juliet Halstead · Migrant Help
10 Jun 2025
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Dame Angela Eagle DBE · Home Office Joanna Rowland CB · Home Office Simon Ridley · Home Office
13 May 2025
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Claudia Sturt · Serco UK & Europe Jason Burt · Mears Group Steve Lakey · Clearsprings Ready Homes
29 Apr 2025
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Alex Fraser · British Red Cross Councillor Peter Mason · Local Government Association Enver Solomon · Refugee Council Frances McMeeking · Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership Megan Smith · Deighton Pierce Glynn Natasha Beresford · Dacorum Borough Council Paul Dennett · Salford City Council
18 Mar 2025
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David Bolt · Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration Dr Lucy Mort · Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Professor Jonathan Darling · Durham University Sachin Savur · Institute for Government
Title HC No. Published Items Response
4th Report – The Home Office's management of asylum accommodation HC 580 27 Oct 2025 46 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
Clear
33 Recommendation Rejected
4th Report – The Home Office's man…
Long-term contingency hotel use remains unfairly excluded from asylum distribution planning
The use of hotels for asylum accommodation was intended to be a short- term, contingency measure and consequently people in Contingency Accommodation do not “count” towards the Home Office’s plans for the distribution of asylum seekers across the country. In … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees it needs to account for contingency accommodation in overall planning, but explicitly rejects the recommendation to directly include contingency accommodation in National Allocation Plans for Dispersal Accommodation, citing concerns it would limit procurement of needed dispersal sites.
Home Office
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34 Recommendation Rejected
4th Report – The Home Office's man…
Amend indexing tool for asylum distribution, accounting for contingency accommodation and local factors
We recommend that the Home Office amends the indexing tool used to develop targets for the distribution of asylum seekers across the country so that it accounts for use of Contingency Accommodation. We also recommend that the Home Office ensures … Read more
Government Response
The Home Office is reviewing its indexing tool but rejects the recommendation to directly account for Contingency Accommodation in its plans, arguing it would limit increasing Dispersal Accommodation. However, it does require providers to consider existing Dispersal Accommodation when proposing new sites.
Home Office
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38 Recommendation Rejected
4th Report – The Home Office's man…
Implement reforms to ensure local impact assessment, improved notice periods, and consistent data sharing
We recommend that the Home Office implements a package of reforms to ensure that the impact of asylum accommodation on local areas is accounted for, including by: a. Ensuring that impacts on local services are adequately assessed by providers prior … Read more
Government Response
The Home Office states it already considers impacts on local areas via an indexing model and has issued data sharing guidance to providers. However, it does not address providing 28 days' notice for new Contingency Accommodation and, after a pilot, reverted to a 28-day notice period (rather than reinstating 56 days) for most asylum seekers with positive decisions.
Home Office
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Government Response AI assessment · 46 of 22 classified
Accepted 11
Accepted in Part 6
Acknowledged 12
Deferred 13
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 3
Total 22 recs + 24 conclusions
Correspondence 6 letters
22 Jan 2026 To committee Letter from Minister for Border Security relating to Stay Belvedere Hotels Ltd 15.01.2026
Parliament page
11 Nov 2025 To committee Letter from the Minister for Border Security and Asylum regarding asylum accommodation 10.11.2025
Parliament page
14 Oct 2025 From the Minister for Border Security & Asylum relating to Asylum accommodation 08.10.2025
Parliament page
14 Oct 2025 From committee Letter to the Minister for Border Security and Asylum re asylum accommodation 01.07.2025
Parliament page
1 Jul 2025 To committee Letter from the Minister for Border Security & Asylum on Asylum Accommodation following the evidence session on 10 June 25.06.2025
Parliament page
29 Apr 2025 To committee Letter from the Chief Executive of the Refugee Council on asylum accommodation 14.04.2025
Parliament page