Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration questioned on asylum accommodation
The Home Affairs Committee holds the first evidence session of its inquiry into asylum accommodation on Tuesday 18 March.
Meeting details
The Home Office has a legal duty to provide accommodation and subsistence support to people claiming asylum while their claim is assessed if they are considered destitute. Accommodation is delivered at a range of sites, including hotels and local housing, by private providers. An increase in demand has seen spending on asylum accommodation and support rise from £739 million in 2019-20 to £4.7 billion in 2023-24, with higher use of temporary hotel spaces.
The evidence session will examine the current state of the asylum accommodation system, including how the current Government can learn from how asylum accommodation was delivered in the previous Parliament. The committee will question Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, David Bolt, on his findings from recent inspections. This will include the effectiveness of the Government’s overarching strategy as well as the quality of service delivery.
The committee will also take evidence from researchers in asylum policy to understand how the asylum accommodation system currently operates. This will include how effectively the Home Office has managed the current contracts for the delivering asylum accommodation. It will consider how delivery of asylum accommodation could be improved, including whether alternative delivery models would improve cost effectiveness and the quality of support.