Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) has expressed his frustration over the asylum accommodation crisis, telling reporters: "I can't tell you how frustrated and angry I am that we've been left with a mess as big as this by the last government." The Prime Minister blamed Conservative predecessors for failing to process asylum claims, leaving tens of thousands of cases unresolved.
The government is now processing claims more quickly and conducting more removals of those with no right to remain in the UK, Starmer said. He defended Labour's approach following a damning parliamentary report that revealed billions had been "squandered" on asylum accommodation through Home Office mismanagement.
Conservative leader responds
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accepted that "mistakes had been made" under the previous government but criticised Labour for scrapping the Rwanda scheme. She said: "This is why it's one of the first things I did when I became leader was acknowledge mistakes had been made but we had an answer to this, which was the Rwanda scheme."
Badenoch argued that Labour's decision to scrap the Rwanda programme "removed the deterrence" for small boat crossings. She acknowledged that not everything her party did was perfect but maintained the Rwanda scheme provided a solution to the crisis.
Costs spiral dramatically
Expected accommodation contract costs have tripled from £4.5 billion to £15.3 billion between 2019 and 2029, according to the Home Affairs Committee report. The "dramatic increase" followed the pandemic and rising numbers of small boat arrivals among other contributing factors.
Committee chairwoman Dame Karen Bradley told Sky News the Home Office "isn't fit for purpose" and should be split into separate departments handling borders and crime. Downing Street rejected this recommendation, stating there are "no plans" to break up the department.
Home Office failures exposed
The committee's report criticised the Home Office's "chaotic response" to mounting pressures, stating it "has not been up to the challenge" despite operating in an extremely difficult environment. MPs warned that promises without clear alternative accommodation plans risk "under-delivery and consequently undermining public trust still further".
The report called the current system "failed, chaotic and expensive" and urged ministers to develop a clear strategy for reducing asylum hotel use. The 2026 break clause and 2029 contract end dates represent opportunities to establish a more effective system offering better value for money.
Timeline for hotel elimination
Housing Secretary Steve Reed promised progress "within weeks" on ending hotel use for asylum accommodation. He told Sky News the government was examining "modular" building forms and former military bases as alternatives to eliminate hotel use entirely within Labour's government term by 2029.
Reed said: "We want to get it right, but the intention is to get those former military bases is one example of it, where we could use big sites and get people on there and end the use of hotels entirely."
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
