The British government is considering using military facilities to house migrants currently staying in hotels.
“We are looking at the possibility of using military and non-military facilities to temporarily house people arriving in these small boats“, Defence Secretary John Healy told Sky News.
On Monday, then-Home Secretary and now Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed the government's intention to close all hotels hosting refugees before the next election in 2029. Critics say the problem of hotels, which are often located in city centres and are seen as a cause of rising crime, needs to be addressed now.
In August, authorities in the town of Epping, near London, have begun trying to close down a local refugee hotel, The Bell. The hotel had previously sparked riots in the city amid the trial of a migrant accused of rape. In their statement, the local authority said there was a “clear risk of further escalation of community tensions” and that the practice was not in line with zoning regulations. The court imposed a temporary ban on the hotel accommodating refugees during the proceedings, but the Home Office was able to lift the ban. Following the success of the Epping case, many regional authorities have announced plans to take similar measures. Illegal migrants often seek any opportunity to reach the UK and obtain refugee status, which opens them up to financial benefits and social programs.
In 2024, more than 36,800 illegal immigrants arrived in the UK by boat across the English Channel, a quarter more than the previous year. The record number was recorded in 2022, when more than 45,700 migrants reached British shores. British authorities spend several million pounds a day to accommodate asylum seekers in hotels.