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Billions of pounds wasted by Home Office on asylum hotels, MPs say
Billions of pounds are being wasted by the Home Office on asylum hotels, a committee of MPs say.
A damning report by the Home Affairs Committee says the expected cost of housing asylum seekers has tripled from £4.5bn to £15.3bn. This follows a "dramatic increase" in demand following the COVID pandemic and rising numbers of those arriving by small boat.
The report, referring to accommodation contracts for 2019-2029, criticises the Home Office for failing to reclaim excess profits from asylum accommodation providers totalling tens of millions of pounds owed to the department. The government has promised to end the housing of asylum seekers in hotels by 2029, amid mounting pressure over costs and a backlash in local communities.
Sir Keir Starmer blamed the Conservatives, saying Labour "inherited a huge mess in relation to pretty well all departments in government, and that includes the Home Office". He said his government is processing asylum claims "much more quickly" than under the Tories and they are removing people "who have no right to be in our country" at a "higher rate than the best part of a decade".
Communities Secretary Steve Reed told Sky News the government was "working at pace to fix the problems we inherited.
Amir Nisi
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