InfoMigrants-French has reported that the British have organised demonstrations across the country to demand an end to housing asylum seekers in hotels. Following these protests, InfoMigrants reports that the government has decided to reform the asylum system and gradually close all hotels.

Of the approximately two hundred hotels that were requisitioned to accommodate asylum seekers, five will be closed by the end of the year. This raises the question of where the 32,000 asylum seekers will live if the government shuts down all these hotels. The French information platform on migrants also reveals that asylum applications in the United Kingdom continue to increase, with 111,000 asylum seekers registered between June 2024 and June 2025 – the highest number in over 20 years.

La Croix reports that Conservative opposition leader, Kemi Badenoch, accused Keir Starmer of “prioritising the rights of illegal migrants over the rights of Britons, whose sole desire is to feel safe in their towns and communities”.

According to africanews, citing British media, at least 12 local councils intend to adopt the same decision in their areas.

The BBC reports that data show Afghans were the most common nationality in hotels in south-east England, with significant numbers also coming from Iran, Syria and Iraq compared to other countries.

The Independent notes that Home Office figures show asylum applications from Sudan have an approval rate of 94%, while those from Syria have reached 98% in recent years. Nevertheless, thousands of people from these countries have been housed in hotels for months, unable to work or study while waiting for their applications to be processed.

However, on Friday 29 August, British courts lifted the ban on housing asylum seekers in a hotel in Epping, north of London. According to La Croix, an appeals court ruled that the initial judge had “made several errors” in his decision.