Currently, around 30,000 migrants are being housed in over 250 hotels, costing the government approximately 4.2 million pounds daily, according to The Times.

Labour's election manifesto pledged to eliminate the use of asylum hotels, but no specific deadline was established. Initially, it was anticipated that this would happen within a year.

Since taking office, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has acknowledged that clearing the overall asylum backlog will take longer than expected. She is optimistic that the Home Office can process the 87,217 claims awaiting initial decisions within 12 to 18 months.

However, an additional 137,525 claims are still awaiting outcomes for appeals or removal decisions, which the Home Office cannot control. This brings the total backlog to 224,742 cases, delaying Labour's promise to end the use of hotels.

Small boat arrivals in the UK continue to contribute to the challenge, with more than 25,000 migrants arriving this year, including over 10,000 since Labour took office on July 5.

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The end of migrant hotels?

During the election campaign, Keir Starmer committed to ending the practice of housing migrants in hotels, highlighting that the backlog prevents individuals from being returned, even if they lack the right to remain in the UK.

A Whitehall source indicated that the backlog is more extensive than anticipated and may take over a year to resolve. Labour has also criticized the previous government for its immigration management, including the 700 million pounds spent on the Rwanda deportation scheme.

As of June, 29,585 migrants were in hotels, down from a peak of 56,042 last September. According to a report from the Migration Observatory the government has struggled to find private rental accommodation for migrants, which led to the widespread use of alternative accommodation such as hotels, military sites and barges. However, Labour also intends to phase out large migrant accommodation sites like the Bibby Stockholm barge and former military locations.

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Resolving the backlog

Cooper's assessment suggests that the commitment to eliminate asylum hotels will take longer than initially planned. She has indicated that resolving the backlog is a priority for Labour, which has inherited a failed immigration system from the previous government.

Home Office figures released in August show that 118,882 people were waiting for initial decisions on their asylum applications in the UK at the end of June 2024. While this is a 32 percent decrease from the highest recorded figure of 175,457 last year in June 2023, it reflects a slight increase from 118,329 at the end of March.

The backlog increased due to a drop in productivity at the Home Office after the election, with only 2,990 decisions made in June compared to 14,148 in April. However, recent reports indicate that productivity has improved, with around 11,000 claims processed in September.

Cooper has stated that the government is making progress in addressing the asylum backlog and returning individuals without the right to remain in the UK, aiming to eliminate the costly asylum hotel system. The Labour manifesto promises to "restore order to the asylum system" and save taxpayers billions by hiring additional caseworkers to tackle the backlog left by the previous administration.

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Starmer looks to 'outsource' migration policy

One of UK prime minister's key election promises was to end the controversial Rwanda asylum scheme aimed at deterring small boat crossings by sending asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing.

However, his recent visit to Italy to discuss its asylum approach with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, involved discussing another externalized asylum system in the form of an agreement with Albania to handle asylum seekers rescued at sea.

In contrast, the Italy-Albania protocol allows asylum seekers to be processed in Albania under Italian law, with successful applicants granted asylum in Italy. While the Albanian program is not yet operational, Starmer hopes to replicate Italy’s "tough approach," according to reports by Euronews.

Starmer commended Meloni, who leads the far-right Brothers of Italy party, for achieving a 60 percent reduction in irregular arrivals in Italy. The UK and Albania have existing migration deals, and Starmer is interested in potentially expanding agreements similar to Italy's.

During the visit, Starmer toured Italy’s immigration coordination center, highlighting the importance of collaboration in managing migration flows post-Brexit. However, his willingness to align with Meloni’s far-right government, which has faced accusations of mistreating migrants, has sparked criticism from within his own party.

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