Asylum seekers who refuse to move out of hotels into new accommodation will have financial and housing support removed from them, the government has warned.
The new crackdown has been ordered by Keir Starmer’s government as it attempts to demonstrate it is taking action amid fears of a repeat of last year’s summer riots, with violence already seen in Epping in Essex after the far right fuelled protests at an asylum hotel.
But the move also appears to be an attempt to get to grips with the continuing small boats crisis on the Channel, with fears of record crossings this summer.
The issue has been seen as a key reason why Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is leading in the polls and taking votes away from Labour in their traditional heartlands.
The announcement also comes amid a row over the language being used by senior Tory figures, which some fear is “stoking division” and “inciting violence”.
The latest rant on social media came from shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, who many believe is positioning himself to be a rightwing candidate in a new leadership bid to replace Kemi Badenoch.
In an inflammatory post on X, the former immigration minister took the side of protesters in Epping, saying: “I don’t want my young daughters to share a neighbourhood with men who broke into this country illegally and about whom we know next to nothing.
“And I don’t want anyone else’s family to have this forced on them either.
“When I see mothers and fathers peacefully protesting in Epping, I see decent, fair-minded people being pushed to breaking point.”
The violence and protests in Epping, which have seen 16 arrested, broke out after accusations were made about asylum seekers sexually abusing local women.
Mr Jenrick accused Sir Keir of “being oblivious” to men pretending to be children to game the system, or migrants carrying guns and knives and, he claimed, security briefings suggesting that they pose a terrorist threat.
“It’s high time Starmer took his head out the sand and listened to what communities are saying and experiencing. It’s time he went and spoke to the law-abiding citizens who are being made to suffer the consequences of the failure to control our borders. Communities like Epping.”
It came just 24 hours after it emerged that asylum seekers may be using payment cards intended for buying essentials for gambling.
A Freedom of Information request made by PoliticsHome revealed more than 6,500 payments in gambling settings were attempted by asylum seekers in the past year, with shadow home secretary Chris Philp saying “this madness has to end”. Meanwhile, fellow Tory MP Louie French took to X saying: “Deport the migrants.”
Mr Jenrick’s outburst provoked a furious response from Labour.
A Labour source said: “Robert Jenrick was at the heart of a Conservative government that let the asylum system spiral into chaos. He had the power to act – and didn’t. How dare he talk about a “gutless elite” when for years he sat around the cabinet table and in the Home Office doing nothing?
“This Labour government is taking decisive action to regain control of our borders – cracking down on criminal gangs, clearing the asylum backlog, and ending the costly hotel use left behind by the Tories.”
Meanwhile, Amnesty International appealed for calm.
Kerry Moscogiuri, Amnesty International UK’s campaign director, said: “In moments of heightened tension, including in areas like Epping, politicians have a responsibility to lead with facts and compassion – not fear and division.
“Stirring up hostility against people seeking asylum is not only deeply irresponsible, but it also risks fuelling hate, discrimination, and violence.
“People fleeing war, persecution and torture deserve safety and dignity and should not be used as political scapegoats. We urge all public figures to tone down inflammatory rhetoric and focus instead on upholding human rights and fostering community solidarity.”
Among the measures to tackle the crisis is the government’s new failure to travel policy which will be published today and is designed to tackle non-compliance by asylum seekers. It will ensure individuals who are moved from hotels to suitable alternative accommodation must take it.
Those who refuse to move without a valid reason will now risk losing their housing and support. It is a firm but fair approach, aimed to end abuse of asylum support and contribute towards the closure of costly hotel accommodation.
While the government has a duty to support all asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute in appropriate accommodation, the new policy establishes clear consequences for those who game the system whilst protecting the vulnerable.
At the peak of the crisis under the previous administration, 400 hotels were being used to accommodate asylum seekers, costing £9 million per day.
The government made a clear commitment to end that practice, and is delivering. In the first three months of 2025 the number of asylum seekers in hotels fell by almost 6,000, a 15 per cent reduction since December. The number of hotels in use has now halved from its peak in 2023.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: “We inherited an asylum system on the brink of collapse – mismanaged, under strain, and costing the public a fortune. We are getting a grip.
“We are working to close hotels, restore order, and put fairness and value for money at the heart of our asylum system. This government is making those necessary decisions to protect the taxpayer and uphold the integrity of our borders.
“These reforms to the Failure to Travel policy are another example of this government’s action to transform the asylum accommodation system and crack down on those who abuse our system, so it operates fairly and saves the taxpayer money.”
