Home Office could move asylum seekers into pop-up buildings as it scrambles over migrant hotel crisis
Asylum seekers could move into pop-up buildings with government aiming to end hotel use
- The government is set to announce plans within weeks to move asylum seekers from hotels into pop-up or modular buildings, with the aim of ending hotel use entirely.
- Housing Secretary Steve Reed stated that modular construction would allow for quicker setup and confirmed the exploration of former military bases for large-scale accommodation.
- Two barracks, Cameron Barracks in Inverness and Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex, will temporarily house around 900 men.
- These developments follow a critical report that accused the Home Office of squandering billions on migrant hotel contracts due to mismanagement, with one provider, Mears, now making payments back.
- MPs have warned against using large sites due to potential high costs and noted that the Home Office lacks a clear plan for delivering medium-sized accommodation, despite projected contract costs tripling to £15.5bn by 2029.