How Asylum Seekers Living in UK Hotels Break Their Silence Over Shocking Conditions, Revealing What They Are Forced to Endure Every Day

Asylum seekers living in hotels across Britain have complained about terrible living conditions, including rats in bedrooms, overcrowded rooms and poor-quality food that they say is affecting their health.

A new report has revealed disturbing accounts from people living in accommodation provided by the Home Office while they wait for decisions on their asylum applications.

Some families said they were forced to share very small rooms with several other people, while others complained that the meals provided were sometimes so badly prepared that they could not eat them.

The report, titled Profiting From People: Inside the UK’s Asylum Hotels, was published by the Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London, known as Ramfel.

Researchers gathered information from 493 asylum seekers who had lived in hotels between January 2023 and February 2025.

Their findings have raised serious concerns about how asylum seekers are being housed and whether the companies responsible for providing accommodation are meeting acceptable living standards.

One of the biggest complaints was overcrowding.

According to the report, some families of six were living together in a single hotel room, leaving them with very little personal space.

Parents described how difficult it was to carry out ordinary family activities when everyone had to eat, sleep and spend most of their time in the same small room.

In some cases, there was not enough space for everyone to sit down together.

The report found that when one family member sat at a small table, the others had little room to move around and sometimes had to remain standing.

Beds were often used for several purposes because there was not enough furniture or space.

Children reportedly had to complete their schoolwork while sitting on their beds, which also served as places for eating meals.

For families who had been living in these conditions for months, the lack of space made everyday life increasingly difficult.

Parents were particularly worried about how the situation was affecting their children’s education, health and general wellbeing.

Another major concern raised in the report was the presence of rats inside hotel rooms.

Several asylum seekers complained about rodents moving around their accommodation.

One family told researchers that they had counted five rats inside their room.

The complaints raised questions about cleanliness and whether the accommodation was being properly maintained.

Residents said they were worried about having to sleep and eat in rooms where rats had been seen.

Food was another serious issue highlighted by the research.

Many asylum seekers said the meals they received were of such poor quality that they struggled to eat them.

Some described being served food that was badly burnt, while others said their meals were not properly cooked.

There were also complaints about food being served while still frozen in the middle.

For people who depend on the meals provided by their accommodation, the situation was particularly difficult because they had limited options to prepare their own food.

Some residents said the food problems were affecting their health, with concerns raised about whether they were getting enough nutrients.

The report included information from letters written by GPs to the Home Office, warning about the health of people living in asylum hotels.

Doctors raised concerns about weight loss and malnutrition, particularly among children.

The researchers found that these problems appeared repeatedly in the accounts they examined.

Some asylum seekers also reported having medical conditions or disabilities that required special arrangements, but said their needs had not been properly considered.

This included people who needed changes to their accommodation or food because of their health.

The report suggested that failing to provide suitable arrangements could make existing health problems worse.

Researchers were especially concerned about children who had spent long periods living in hotel accommodation.

They argued that growing up in overcrowded rooms, without enough space to study or play, could have lasting effects on children’s development and education.

The report warned that the conditions were putting children’s futures at risk.

Alongside the complaints about living conditions, the research also examined how much money private companies were making from asylum accommodation contracts.

According to Ramfel, the Home Office’s three main accommodation providers made a combined profit of £380 million between September 2019 and August 2024.

The organisation calculated that this was equivalent to approximately £146 in profit every minute over five years.

The figures have raised questions about how companies could make such large profits while some people living in their accommodation were reporting serious problems.

Campaigners believe the government should examine whether taxpayers are receiving value for money and whether accommodation providers are meeting their responsibilities.

The findings come at a time when the government is facing growing pressure over the cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels.

A separate report from Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee strongly criticised the way asylum accommodation had been managed.

The committee found that billions of pounds had been wasted because of poor planning and long-running problems within the system.

It described the arrangements as expensive, badly managed and unsuccessful.

The Home Office has also confirmed that it recovered £74 million from accommodation providers’ profits.

Despite repeated government promises to reduce the use of hotels, Ramfel found that the overall number of asylum hotels had fallen by just three since Labour came to power.

This has led to further criticism from those who believe the government has not moved quickly enough to find alternative accommodation.

Ministers have repeatedly said they want to end the use of hotels because of the high cost to taxpayers and the pressure they can place on local communities.

The government is now considering using military sites to accommodate hundreds of asylum seekers.

The Home Office has confirmed that two locations are being examined as possible temporary accommodation sites.

These include Crowborough in East Sussex and Cameron in Inverness.

Other military barracks and cheaper accommodation options are also being considered.

The government believes moving asylum seekers away from hotels could reduce spending and ease pressure on communities where large numbers of people are currently being housed.

However, refugee support organisations have warned that simply moving people into military accommodation may not solve the problems identified in the report.

They argue that the government must ensure any new accommodation is safe, clean and suitable for the people living there.

Nick Beales, head of campaigns at Ramfel, criticised the way asylum hotels are sometimes described in political discussions.

He said some politicians had created the impression that asylum seekers were living comfortably in expensive, luxury hotels.

According to Beales, the experiences reported by residents showed a very different situation.

He pointed to complaints about food, rats and poor hygiene as evidence that some asylum seekers were living in unacceptable conditions.

Beales argued that the public debate often focused on the cost of hotels without paying enough attention to the actual conditions inside them.

He also called on the government to consider housing asylum seekers in ordinary communities rather than continuing to rely on hotels or moving them into other large accommodation centres.

He believes community-based housing could reduce public spending while helping refugees build better relationships with people living in surrounding areas.

The organisation said this approach could also improve relations between asylum seekers and local residents.

The report has added another dimension to the wider debate about immigration and asylum accommodation in Britain.

Many members of the public have expressed concerns about the amount of taxpayers’ money being spent on hotels, particularly at a time when households are struggling with living costs and pressure on public services.

Others have questioned why private accommodation companies are making substantial profits while residents report problems with basic living conditions.

Campaigners argue that the government should be able to control costs without placing vulnerable people in accommodation that may damage their health.

The findings also highlight the difficulties faced by families who have little control over where they are housed while waiting for their asylum applications to be processed.

Unlike ordinary hotel guests, asylum seekers placed in Home Office accommodation generally cannot simply choose another hotel if they are unhappy with their living conditions.

Many depend on the accommodation and support provided while their cases are being considered.

This means problems with food, hygiene or overcrowding can be especially difficult for them to escape.

For families with young children, the uncertainty surrounding their asylum applications can make the situation even more stressful.

Parents may be worried about their future in Britain while also trying to provide their children with a stable environment.

The report suggests that some families have struggled to maintain normal routines because of the conditions in which they are living.

In response to the findings, the Home Office said the government was determined to close every asylum hotel.

A spokesperson expressed frustration about the number of people arriving in Britain illegally and the continued use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers.

The department said work was already under way to move people into military bases as part of efforts to reduce pressure on communities across the country.

Officials also said they were working with local councils, property providers and other government departments to speed up the process.

The government maintains that ending hotel accommodation remains one of its priorities.

However, the Ramfel report has raised questions about what will happen to people currently living in hotels and whether alternative accommodation will provide better conditions.

It has also renewed calls for stronger checks on private companies receiving government contracts to house asylum seekers.

For the families who reported overcrowding, rats and poor food, the immediate concern remains the conditions they are experiencing every day.

While the government continues to look for cheaper accommodation and ways to reduce hotel use, campaigners say the health and safety of residents must not be overlooked.

The report has brought renewed attention to a system that is costing taxpayers large sums of money while some of the people housed within it say they are struggling with basic needs such as clean rooms, enough space and properly prepared meals.

With ministers promising to close asylum hotels and move residents elsewhere, attention is now turning to whether the government’s next approach will reduce costs while avoiding the same problems that have been reported in existing accommodation.