Over 100 refugee charities have asked Prime Minister Keir Starmer to stop putting asylum seekers in hotels and paying for it with the UK’s foreign aid money. They believe this is taking away money that should be used to help people in need around the world. Groups like Refugee Council, Save the Children UK, and the International Rescue Committee UK say this approach isn’t right and is wasting important resources.
Imran Hussain from the Refugee Council said that UK aid should go towards helping people globally, not covering the costs of housing asylum seekers in hotels. He blamed poor decisions and mismanagement of the asylum system for rising costs and said the best way to cut expenses is to quickly and fairly decide who qualifies as a refugee and who doesn’t.
On GB News, Dr. Krish Kandiah from the Sanctuary Foundation agreed that hotels aren’t the right place for asylum seekers. He said it’s too expensive for the country, costing £3 billion a year. He also mentioned that it’s harmful to the people being housed there, especially families and children who face constant uncertainty about where they’ll live next. Having a proper home, with a front door of their own, helps people recover from trauma.
Dr. Kandiah believes asylum seekers should be offered social housing like anyone else living in the UK, including locals. He said refugee charities have been asking the government to invest in more social housing for both British citizens and newcomers like Ukrainian refugees.
Andrew Pierce, a host on GB News, strongly disagreed. He interrupted Dr. Kandiah and argued that the UK is already facing a housing crisis. He questioned why people who have just arrived in the country, without working or contributing, should be given homes.
Dr. Kandiah responded by pointing out that many people were happy to host Ukrainians fleeing war in their own homes. He said that while that kind of hospitality is generous, it can’t last forever—these people need proper homes too. If someone’s asylum claim is approved, they become a refugee and should get support to start rebuilding their lives. He said temporary places like hotels are okay for a short time, but eventually, people need real homes.
