Migrants are now sleeping outside one of the UK’s most famous landmarks Westminster Cathedral as the small boat crisis continues to grow. Around 50 people, most of them from Eritrea, have been sleeping rough on cardboard and in sleeping bags near London’s Victoria Station over the Easter period.
Some have even set up tents. Witnesses say the number of people camping outside the cathedral has increased significantly in the last few months from just a handful to dozens.
Security guards arrive every morning to move the group before services begin at the cathedral. However, the migrants often return later in the day, placing their belongings under nearby trees while they wait.
Most of those staying outside the cathedral claim to be Eritrean, and many say they arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats. They are now hoping to be given hotel rooms paid for by the government.
Homeless charities say there has been a sharp increase in the number of migrants sleeping rough over the past year. So far in 2025, more than 9,000 people have crossed the Channel—setting a new record for the first four months of any year since tracking began. Just recently, another man died in the Channel while trying to make the crossing, bringing the total number of migrant deaths this year to eight.
Photos showing migrants sleeping on the steps of Westminster Cathedral have raised new concerns about the strain on the UK’s asylum system and housing support. A spokesperson for the Diocese of Westminster said they are aware of the complex situation. They noted that many of the people outside the cathedral are homeless or possibly seeking asylum, and the Church is working with local authorities and support organizations to offer help.
Meanwhile, the government continues to spend millions every day housing over 38,000 migrants in hotel rooms. Each room costs about £145 per night—adding up to more than £54,000 a year per person—compared to around £14 a night for shared housing, flats, or bedsits. Another 65,707 asylum seekers are staying in other types of accommodation.
Labour has promised to shut down the use of asylum hotels and speed up the application process to move people into more affordable housing. But local councils have warned that their resources are already stretched. Councils say that the demand for housing is growing, and competition for rental properties is worsening the UK’s ongoing housing crisis. For example, Kent County Council says the Home Office is still renting properties in the area, making it harder for local residents to find homes.
Tamworth Borough Council also raised concerns, pointing out that most migrants being housed in their area are young, single men, and that competition for rental homes is increasing tensions.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp blamed the Labour government for what he called a lack of control over immigration. He accused them of scrapping the Rwanda deportation plan before it was even put into action, and of allowing lawyers to stop dangerous individuals from being removed from the UK. He said this has led to visible consequences on the streets.
Shadow Home Office Minister Matt Vickers echoed that view, saying Labour’s policies were weak and unhelpful. He called for stricter immigration rules, including making migrants wait longer before applying for permanent residency and ensuring they contribute to society first.
Conservative MP Neil O’Brien said the rapid rise in small boat arrivals has led to visible “social chaos” in communities across the country, and that public services are being pushed to their limits.
Robert Bates from the Centre for Migration Control said the immigration system is failing, and claimed that many new arrivals have little connection to British culture. He pointed out the symbolism of migrants sleeping on the steps of a major Christian cathedral during Easter, saying it reflects how “soft” the country has become.
Kent Police confirmed they are investigating the most recent migrant death in the Channel. The man passed away on Friday, April 18, after a Border Force vessel responded to a medical emergency. Police are now working to confirm his identity so his family can be informed.
