New data shows more asylum seekers housed in hotels while Britain issues fewer work visas, reflecting shifting migration pressures and policy changes.
The number of asylum seekers living in hotels in the United Kingdom has increased sharply even as the country issues far fewer work visas, according to new government figures released on Thursday November 27, 2025. The contrasting trends highlight the ongoing strain on the UK’s asylum system and the broader shifts in immigration patterns.
Home Office data shows that 36,273 asylum seekers were staying in hotels funded by taxpayers in September 2025, a 13% rise — or an additional 4,232 people — compared with June 2025. The reliance on hotel accommodation has become a politically sensitive issue, with ministers promising to phase out the practice before the next general election.
At the same time, the number of foreign workers entering the country has fallen significantly. Work-related visas dropped across most categories, continuing a two-year decline driven largely by reduced recruitment in the health and social care sectors. Only 17,000 health and care visas were issued in the year to September 2025, an 89% decrease from the peak recorded at the end of 2023, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
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Skilled worker visas have also been contracted. In the year ending September 2025, about 35,000 visas were granted to main applicants — 46% fewer than the previous year. Overall, 175,000 work visas were issued across all categories, down 27% year-on-year but still above pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
The government has been moving to expand alternative accommodation sites for asylum seekers as part of its plan to reduce hotel use. In October 2025, the Home Office confirmed it would repurpose two military facilities — Cameron Barracks in Inverness and Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex — as contingency housing. The latter sparked strong public opposition over the weekend, drawing hundreds of protesters concerned about the site’s ability to house up to 540 men.
Meanwhile, the UK’s net migration — the difference between long-term arrivals and departures — has fallen to its lowest annual level since 2021. The ONS estimates net migration at 204,000 in the year to June 2025, a 69% drop compared with the previous year. This marks a steep descent from the record high of 944,000 recorded in the year to March 2023.
Mary Gregory, executive director for population and census at the ONS, said the decline reflects fewer non-EU arrivals for work and study, fewer dependents, and a steady rise in emigration. Much of the outward movement is driven by Indian and Chinese nationals who originally arrived on study visas, while most British emigrants are of working age.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the decline proves that reforms are working but insisted further action is needed. “The days of mass low-skilled immigration must end,” he said, adding that the country “cannot keep importing pressure on public services.”