Government plans for asylum accommodation will cost more than using hotels, and new large sites are housing fewer people than planned, according to the National Audit Office.
The parliamentary spending watchdog found that the Home Office expects to spend £1.2 billion on its ‘large sites’ programme, including at least £230 million by the end of March on the Bibby Stockholm barge, the former RAF bases at Scampton and Wethersfield, and former student accommodation in Huddersfield.
At the end of January 2024, these were housing approximately 900 people and the Government had stopped using 60 hotels, but costs were £46 million higher.
Cllr Roger Gough, the LGA’s Asylum, Refugee and Migration Spokesperson, said: “Councils want to work with government on developing a better system for accommodating and supporting asylum seekers.
“Councils need advance engagement on alternatives sites opened up for those leaving hotels, and for ongoing new arrivals, and an active role in deciding which hotels to close.
“These new sites need to open in areas that are not already facing unsustainable pressures because of asylum and resettlement, and be in line with regionally agreed plans.
“We are also keen to work with government on how to keep people safe and supported, as well as ensure councils are properly prepared in advance of the expected increase in arrivals over the summer, and to understand the potential impacts of the Illegal Migration Act.”