The number of asylum seekers housed in hotels has risen by 8% since Labour came to power, the latest government figures show.
The latest Home Office data revealed there were 32,059 asylum seekers in hotels at the end of June – up from 29,585 in June 2024.
There were 8% more staying in hotels compared to last year, however, the percentage of asylum seekers staying in hotels remained the same at 30% due to more asylum seekers overall.
Read more: Badenoch urges Tory councils to launch legal challenges
Labour came to power on 5 July last year, with Sir Keir Starmer promising to end “the costly use of hotels to house asylum seekers in this parliament”.
June’s figure for migrant hotels was just 286 people fewer than the previous quarter, from January to March this year.
The data released on Thursday is 43% lower than the peak of 56,042, recorded at the end of September 2023.
However, the total number of people applying for asylum since Labour came to power reached a record high for a 12-month period since records began in 2001.
The data shows a total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the year to June 2025.
This is up 14% from 97,107 compared with June 2024.
However, the number of decisions being made on asylum claims fell by 13% in the year to June, to 134,037 – though this is still close to record levels.
A single asylum application may require multiple decisions due to appeals, so the fact there are more decisions than applications does not mean the backlog is being reduced.
The previous record for a 12-month period was 109,343 in the year to March 2025 – covering three quarters of Labour’s current tenure.
Migrants who arrived in the UK in small boats accounted for 39% of the total number of people claiming asylum in the year to June.
The numbers are released as councils across the UK are considering whether to follow in the footsteps of Epping Forest District Council.
The Essex council was granted a temporary injunction on Tuesday by the High Court to block asylum seekers from lodging at The Bell Hotel.
Epping Forest Council had argued the hotel’s owners did not have planning permission to house migrants there.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Court rules asylum seekers to be removed from hotel
Reform UK-led councils are looking into doing the same, two Labour-run councils said they are considering it, and Kemi Badenoch has encouraged Conservative-led councils to follow Epping’s lead.
Tory-run Broxbourne Council announced it is exploring its legal options.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.