UK Home Office faces legal challenge over asylum hotel closures

Legal challenges have been initiated against the UK Home Office concerning the adequacy of accommodation for asylum seekers following the closure of multiple hotels. The government is relocating residents from hotels to military barracks or other shared housing, citing a pledge to end hotel accommodation and responding to protests regarding perceived luxury. A deputy high court judge has ruled it is “arguable” that the Home Secretary failed to assess individual vulnerabilities prior to mass evictions.

The legal action, mounted by the firm Deighton Pierce Glynn, follows the Home Office’s announcement on 25 June to close 20 hotels, adding to 11 closures earlier in the year. Claimants argue that the expedited evictions have been conducted without proper evaluative assessments of their needs. Ralitsa Peykova, a solicitor at Deighton Pierce Glynn, described the government’s hotel closures as “complete chaos” and a waste of taxpayers’ money, noting that urgent legal proceedings were necessary due to the lack of individual consideration.

Among the claimants is Huda, a 41-year-old engineering graduate from Tunisia, who fled death threats and is awaiting the processing of her asylum application. She and her two children, one of whom uses a wheelchair and has epilepsy and a heart condition, were given just a few days’ notice to move from a London Staycity hotel. Huda alleges that the new accommodation is significantly worse, lacking the space and equipment required for her daughter’s medical supplies, including a fridge for medication. She stated that her daughter is now sleeping on the floor due to fear of the bunk beds and that she must change her daughter’s nappies in the corridor.

Other claimants have highlighted the disruption to essential services and education. Farhad, a trafficking victim diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, was moved away from his mental health treatment facilities after receiving a brief notice. Another case involves a mother and her sons relocated 549 miles to Aberdeen just two days before one of the boys’ vital A-level exams. Chloe White, executive director of Action for Refugees in Lewisham, which is supporting families moved from Staycity, said the reality on the ground differs sharply from government claims of success, with families being ripped away from support systems and specialist care.

In response, a Home Office spokesperson stated that the government will close every asylum hotel and that work is underway to move asylum seekers into more suitable accommodation. The spokesperson emphasised that the welfare of asylum seekers remains a priority and that the department will continue to work with providers to ensure additional needs are accommodated and disruption is minimised wherever possible. The legal proceedings are ongoing as the court considers the adequacy of the government’s approach to these relocations.