Vincent McAviney & Adam Durbin of BBC News reported that the Home Office will no longer utilize hotels operated by Stay Belvedere Hotels (SBHL), one of the main providers of asylum accommodation. SBHL manages approximately a quarter of asylum accommodation handled by the Home Office and oversees 51 hotels in England and Wales, along with Napier Barracks in Kent, which is set to close in September. The contract between SBHL and the Home Office, valued at approximately £2 billion annually, was signed by the previous Conservative government in 2019.
Despite SBHL’s claims on its website of offering extensive pastoral and welfare services surpassing contractual obligations to ensure dignified treatment of guests, a Home Office audit revealed unspecified concerns regarding its performance and behavior as a government supplier. As a result, Border Security and Asylum Minister Angela Eagle announced the decision to remove SBHL from the Home Office supply chain to enhance oversight of asylum accommodation. The earliest possible exit point for the Home Office from the contract with SBHL without incurring break costs is projected to be September of the following year, raising questions about the future accommodation of those currently housed by SBHL.
Recent immigration statistics from December 2024 disclosed that there were 38,079 asylum seekers accommodated in hotels, a decrease from the peak of 56,042 in September 2023. Ministry of Justice data indicated that nearly 42,000 asylum seekers are awaiting appeal hearings subsequent to initial rejections by the Home Office. As the government explores options for failed asylum seekers whose appeals have been exhausted, including potential relocation to the Balkans, the issue of migration remains prevalent in the UK. In 2024, over 5,000 migrants arrived in the UK via small boats, contributing to the total of 36,816 recorded for the year, underscoring the ongoing challenges within the asylum and immigration system
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