It is understood that between 8,000 to 10,000 people who are living in asylum accommodation have the right to work, because of the visa they are currently on. There are also around 9,000 people who have the right to work because they have been waiting for 12 months or more on their asylum claim, though not all of them are in Home Office accommodation.
As she removes support to thousands of migrants, the Home Secretary intends to begin evicting people from hotels in the spring, as the Labour Government attempts to show progress on slashing the asylum bill, the i paper reports.
Around 36,000 asylum seekers were housed in hotels at the end of September, the latest available figures show, with the Home Office saying fewer than 200 hotels are now in use.
As Sir Keir Starmer tries to bring the migrant crisis under control, the Government has pledged to phase out the use of hotels for migrants by the end of this Parliament.
Work is understood to be underway to move asylum seekers into accommodation such as military bases to ease pressure on communities.
Reports of a deal with Germany and the further expansion of the Government one-in, one-out agreement with France have also emerged in recent weeks.
Asylum seekers from Syria could also face removal to their home country, with the Government deeming it safer after the fall of the Assad regime at the end of 2024.
A Labour source said: “The Home Secretary is a woman in a hurry. She is working tirelessly to introduce these reforms to restore order and control to our borders.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This government is ending the duty to provide taxpayer-funded support to migrants who are able to support themselves or who break the law. Those with income or assets will now be required to contribute towards the cost of their stay and we are considering whether to remove benefits entirely from those who do not make an economic contribution.”
Some 41,472 people crossed the Channel in small boats last year, the second-highest annual total on record but still lower than the peak year of 2022 when there were 45,774 crossings. So far in 2026, which has been battered by inclement and freezing weather, just 32 people have made the crossing, arriving in a single boat on January 5.
