Labour to TREBLE migrant accommodation spending despite Shabana Mahmood vowing to 'close every asylum hotel'

She said: "We have already halved the number of asylum hotels since their peak in Summer 2023. We will close every single asylum hotel, moving illegal migrants into military bases."

But despite this promise, it has now been revealed spending on migrant accommodation is set to reach in excess of £15billion over 10 years — more than treble the £4.5billion had been forecasted.

"Demand for asylum has grown and is now expected to cost £15.3billion over the next 10 years, revised up from the Home Office's previously proposed £4.5billion," it was confirmed by the Office for Budget Responsibility today prior to Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Budget.

It added "total costs are likely to continue to rise if asylum backlogs fall and some refugees move from central government-funded asylum accommodation to accommodation provided by local authorities".

The huge costs comes despite Ms Mahmood announcing major overhauls to the Government's asylum policy.

New measures include those granted asylum needing to wait 20 years before they can apply to settle in Britain permanently, while refugees will be returned to their home country as soon as it is deemed "safe".

She also announced the UK will stop granting visas to people from Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo if their governments do not rapidly improve co-operation on removals.

Despite this, net migration is forecasted to rise over the next five years, despite Labour pledging to bring the number down.

Research shows, by 2030, net migration will surpass 350,000 and run close to 400,000.

The latest figure gives further credence to recent studies that suggest Labour's "one in, one out" scheme has failed, preventing less than nine per cent of migrant crossings.

In comparison, the Conservatives' Rwanda policy saw Channel crossings surge by 24 per cent after it was scrapped in Labour’s first days of power.

The news comes as Epping Forest District Council confirmed they were to continue their legal challenge against housing small boat migrants at The Bell Hotel.

The local authority previously saw their case rejected by the High Court, although leaders now plan to appeal the decision.

"We have agreed we are going to continue the process of appeal", Epping Conservative leader, Chris Whitbread, said. He claims "a strong majority" of councillors backed continuing court proceedings.

However, Liberal Democrat group leader, Jon Whitehouse, condemned the action, saying: "The legal action initiated by the Conservative cabinet, which has cost far more than most councillors expected, has so far achieved precisely nothing except to drain the council's reserves."

The fallout at Epping, which saw major protests outside the hotel throughout the summer, began after Ethiopian migrant Hebash Kebatu sexually assaulted two women, including a teenage girl.

Kebatu was sentenced to 12 months in prison, but only served one before he was accidentally released. When recaptured, he was deported and returned to his country.

This year has already seen over 39,300 migrants cross the Channel. That's compared to 38,816 in the whole of 2024.

This figure lines with the trajectory of 2022, comfortably Britain's record year for illegal migration.

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