Charity report finds UK asylum hotels failing vulnerable people
A new report by the Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London (RAMFEL) has revealed what it says are the devastating impacts of the government’s long-term use of hotels to house people seeking asylum.
Posted on 14 November 2025
Profiting from People: Inside the UK’s Asylum Hotels states that what was intended as a short-term emergency measure has become an entrenched “profit driven” system where those who try to raise concerns are “met with silence or indifference.”
Drawing on over two years of casework and testimonies, the report highlights a number of issues including overcrowding, unsafe food, and alleged neglect of the health needs of vulnerable people. Among its findings:
-
49% of respondents said their rooms were overcrowded, with families of up to six sharing a single space.
-
80% described hotel food as “really bad,” with cases of malnutrition among children.
-
34% reported having a medical condition or disability, yet none received the adjustments they needed.
-
75% raised concerns, but in most cases no action was taken.
The report states that despite the issues it has identified, private contractors have profited enormously from this system with companies having made more than £380 million in profit since 2019.
RAMFEL is now calling for urgent reform, including ending prolonged hotel use, setting and enforcing minimum standards, investing in community housing, granting people seeking asylum the right to work, and bringing asylum provision back under public control.
Leigh Day supported RAMFEL in its investigations into the systemic failings caused by prolonged hotel use, providing legal expertise during efforts to challenge the practice and document its impact.
John Crowley, solicitor at Leigh Day, said:
“The conditions described in RAMFEL’s report are deeply concerning. People who come to the UK seeking safety should not be subjected to overcrowding, malnutrition and neglect.
“We will continue to support RAMFEL and use the legal system to hold those responsible for failings in the asylum system to account while working towards a fair and just asylum system that upholds people’s dignity and human rights.”
John Crowley
John Crowley is a senior associate solicitor in the human rights department.
High Court rules Home Office system for supporting asylum seekers is unlawful after legal challenge by asylum seekers
The Home Office’s system for supporting destitute asylum seekers whilst they wait for their asylum claims to be determined has been ruled unlawful after a group of asylum seekers brought a Judicial Review in the High Court.
Immigration detention and migrant rights
If your human rights have been breached we may be able to help you