Government Buying Up Asylum Seeker Hotels – Guido Fawkes

EXC: Government Buying Up Asylum Seeker Hotels

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The Home Office is buying up hotels in order to house migrants. Testy Rachel Reeves told Times Radio this morning:

“Well, I’m not going to be providing accommodation. That’s up for the Home Office to do. But the wasteful spending at the moment on the most expensive form of accommodation is a terrible use of taxpayers’ money. And that’s why we’re gonna put it to an end.”

Last night Darren Jones said Labour was putting “capital investment into Government-owned facilities.” Guido can reveal that following the launch of a series of pilots for different methods of migrant housing across the UK the Home Office is outright buying up hotels, including those currently used to house migrants. The Home Office will be spending £2.5 billion annually in 2029 on asylum seeker accommodation – only a £1 billion reduction on current spending levels. The purchase and maintenance of the hotels explains the large remaining spend. Buying up hotels will end up being expensive…

Once a hotel is bought it can be counted in official statistics as normal accommodation. Will be news to local residents told that asylum seekers would only be housed “temporarily”…

Hotels are currently being purchased by the government in the Bristol and Cardiff areas. The Home Office did not respond to a request for comment. Labour is teeing up a sleight of hand to “end” asylum seeker hotel use…