Liverpool declares 'war' on asylum seeker HMOs as last-minute deportation claim loophole is set to be closed

From the Newshound archive · first published 9 October 2026.

Liverpool's Labour-run council has declared "war" on houses in multiple occupation after the Government moved asylum seekers out of hotels and into bedsit conversions in deprived areas of the city. Councillor Billy Lake in Tuebrook says high concentrations of HMOs are driving overcrowding, excess rubbish and mounting pressure on local services. Separately, the Government is set to close a loophole allowing migrants to file last-minute asylum claims to delay deportation, with late filings to be counted against an applicant's credibility. Roughly 156,000 cases are reportedly queuing for a first-tier tribunal, with waits averaging 72 weeks.

Migrants facing deportation will reportedly be required to set out every ground for remaining in the country before a deadline, ending the tactic of filing claims at the eleventh hour.

Liverpool residents are raising concerns about transient neighbours, extra noise and rubbish as family homes are converted into bedsit-style flats across the city.

Claims circulating on social media that the Government is secretly flying migrants into Liverpool's John Lennon Airport have been investigated and confirmed to be untrue.