Birmingham hotels currently house the third-highest number of asylum seekers in the UK, even after a decline of 205 individuals over three months. Home Office data indicates 1,087 asylum seekers resided in temporary hotel accommodations across the city as of December 31, 2025, down from 1,292 on September 30, 2025.
Local Authority Comparisons
Among UK local authorities, Birmingham ranks behind Hillingdon and Hounslow:
- Hillingdon: 1,896 (down 229 from 2,125)
- Hounslow: 1,466 (down 358 from 1,824)
- Birmingham: 1,087 (down 205 from 1,292)
- Croydon: 1,069 (up 235 from 834)
- Manchester: 979 (down 280 from 1,259)
Nearby areas show mixed trends: Solihull reports 233 asylum seekers, down from 260; Walsall has none; Wolverhampton lists 285, a decrease of 43 from 328; Sandwell has 233, down 103 from 336; and Dudley records 76, reduced from 86.
National Hotel Usage Trends
Nationwide, the number of asylum seekers in UK hotels reached 30,657 by the end of December 2025, the lowest in 18 months. This marks a 15% drop from 36,273 at the end of September 2025. Hotel numbers peaked at 56,018 in September 2023 and fell to 29,561 by June 2024.
Contingency accommodations excluding hotels also hit a low of 2,010, the fewest since December 2022. Dispersal accommodations, used post-initial support, house 68,538 individuals, up 4% from 65,707 at the same point in 2024.
The government plans to shift around 900 men to barracks in Scotland and southern England to reduce hotel reliance. Labour commits to ending hotel use by the close of the current Parliament in 2029, potentially sooner.
Asylum Applications and Backlog
Asylum applications totaled 100,625 in 2025, a 4% decrease from 104,764 in 2024—the highest annual figure since records began in 2001. The backlog stands at 64,426 awaiting initial decisions as of December 2025, the lowest since 60,548 in September 2020.
A Home Office spokesperson stated, “The latest statistics show real progress as we restore order and control to our borders.” The spokesperson added, “Too many hotels remain in use. That is why the Home Secretary is introducing sweeping reforms to tackle the pull factors drawing illegal migrants to Britain, and we are ramping up removals of those with no right to be here.”
Citizenship Trends
British citizenship applications surged to 291,971 in 2025, the highest since comparable records started in 2002. The final quarter saw 90,555 applications, a 44% increase from the prior three months and a quarterly record. Grants totaled 235,782, down 13% from 269,806 in 2024, amid policy shifts extending refugee settlement waits from five to 20 years.
