Home Office 'covers up' number of local authorities wanting to put asylum seekers in new council houses

The People's Channel also requested information on local authorities that had been shortlisted, invited to participate, or confirmed as part of the controversial programme.

GB News can now reveal that the Home Office holds the requested information.

The department cited Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to exempt its disclosure on the grounds it "would or would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of any persons".

Responding to GB News's request, the Home Office said: "If we were to disclose the information to you, this would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of both the Home Office and those companies with whom the Home Office enters contracts."

As part of its considerations, the department admitted there would be public interest in the "immediate disclosure" of the information due to concerns about "value for money in terms of its contracts".

However, the Home Office added: "We have therefore concluded that the balance of public interests identified lies in favour of maintaining the exemption.

"This is because the overall public interest lies in ensuring that the Home Office’s ability to protect its commercial competitiveness and relationships with its current service providers is not prejudiced."

The Home Office's refusal to respond to GB News's request comes just weeks after an investigation by The People's Channel revealed that almost 20 local authorities admitted to expressing an interest in the scheme.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp told GB News: "It is shameful that this Labour Government does not want the British people to find out how many council houses they are using to house illegal immigrants.

"Illegal immigrants should not be housed anywhere in this country. They should be sent home or to a safe third country."

Reform UK's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf added: "Labour is spending hundreds of millions moving illegal migrants into newly refurbished council housing while trying to hide it from the British public. This is a blatant cover-up.

"Closing hotels only to fill council homes with illegal arrivals doesn't solve the problem, it moves it. People have a right to know if undocumented males are being placed on their street."

Brighton & Hove, Hackney, Peterborough, Thanet and Powys all expressed an interest at the end of last year.

Barnet, Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole, Cheltenham, East Riding of Yorkshire, East Suffolk, Folkestone & Hythe, Medway, Moray, North Devon, Oxford, the Highlands, and West Oxfordshire have also explored participation.

However, GB News understands the Home Office did not shortlist Barnet, East Riding of Yorkshire, Folkestone & Hythe, Medway, or Moray for its pilot scheme.

Meanwhile, Cheltenham, the Highlands and North Devon did not receive further information about their respective bids.

Oxford City Council opted to discuss an element of the scheme, but its bid is no longer being considered by the Home Office.

Nearby West Oxfordshire also held exploratory discussions that are now inactive, while Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole requested further information before making a bid.

GB News has since learnt that East Suffolk and Melton also expressed an interest in receiving capital funding for the scheme.

Critics have warned the plan would also add further pressure to the UK’s social housing waiting lists, which included 1.3 million families in 2025.

However, the scale of the migrant crisis has heaped further pressure on the Home Office.

Ex-Immigration Minister Kevin Foster told GB News: "The public has a right to know which councils are colluding with Labour ministers to give much-needed social housing to illegal migrants.

"Instead, they seek to cover it up. With local elections coming up, voters have a right to know so they can pass judgement."

A former Home Office official added: "The Home Office is desperate to keep the scandal of asylum seeker accommodation hidden from the public.

"The truth is our borders are so porous that virtually every part of the country now has asylum accommodation – and it's only going to get worse."

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government admitted it is illegal for asylum seekers to access social housing.

However, ex-Housing Secretary Angela Rayner opened the door to housing asylum seekers in council houses in August 2024, reportedly abandoning plans to prioritise long-term British citizens over illegal migrants.

The Home Office is now frantically searching for alternatives to asylum hotels after the controversial scheme cost taxpayers £2.1billion in the year to March 2025, including moving migrants into former military barracks or homes of multiple occupancy.

A staggering 107,003 people were recorded as being put up in asylum accommodation in December 2025.

More than 30,000 were being housed in around 200 asylum hotels, with each tenant costing the taxpayer £53,000 a year.

The total number of migrants staying in asylum hotels peaked in September 2023 at 56,042.

Sir Keir Starmer's Government is also under pressure to get a grip of the wider small boats crisis, with more migrants crossing the Channel since the 2024 General Election than under any Prime Minister since 2018.

More than 68,500 migrants have arrived on British shores in small boats in Sir Keir's first 20 months in power, taking the figure beyond the 65,645 completed during Boris Johnson's 37-month premiership.

Sir Keir's daily arrival tally stands at an average of 110, well above Mr Johnson's average of 58.

Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak’s 50,637 figure across 22 months averages out at just 81 per day.

A Government spokesman previously said: “Suitable locations for Home Office-run pilots and allocation of funding are currently being reviewed.

“New council housing will not be used by illegal migrants under any circumstances.

“We have committed to closing every asylum hotel, and work is well underway, with more suitable sites, including military bases, being brought forward to ease pressure on communities and cut asylum costs."

A Home Office spokesman told GB News: “These claims are nonsense – it is standard practice to not disclose ongoing procurement, as doing so could compromise the best possible deal for the taxpayer.

“New council housing will not be used by illegal migrants under any circumstances.”