Taxpayers paying £200 a night to house asylum seekers in hotels despite Burnham's pledge to end the practice

From the Newshound archive · first published 20 September 2026.

The bill for housing asylum seekers in taxpayer-funded hotels has surged 37 per cent to £199 a night — nearly matching the cost of a room at the Hilton overlooking Hyde Park. Home Office minister Anna Turley admitted the spiralling figure to the Home Affairs Committee, blaming it on empty rooms being paid for as hotels are phased out. Andy Burnham promised to end hotel use for asylum seekers when he entered No 10, but the costly contracts remain in place.

At £199 a night, the weekly cost per migrant reaches £1,393 — nearly eight times the £25-a-night cost of rented dispersal accommodation.

The number of asylum seekers in hotels has fallen sharply, from 56,018 at its 2023 peak to 16,021 by the end of June — but the per-head cost keeps climbing.

The number of hotels used has dropped from 200 to 160, yet taxpayers are still footing the bill for thousands of unoccupied rooms left idle during the phaseout.