Shocking migrant plan revealed by asylum home chief amid 'HMO Britain' warnings
Exclusive: Another 10,000 more asylum seekers are set to be moved into houses, flats and bedsits in London, the southern counties and Wales.
By
Michael Knowles, Home Affairs and Defence Editor
12:32, Fri, Jun 19, 2026 Updated: 12:35, Fri, Jun 19, 2026
You must log in or register to see images
Migrants are continuing to cross the Channel (Image: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
Channel migrants could be given homes alongside social housing tenants, under plans being considered by council chiefs.
Another 10,000 asylum seekers are set to be moved into houses, flats and bedsits in London, the southern counties and Wales.
And hundreds could be given beds in properties which are being shared with local authorities for social housing.
It comes as new figures revealed Labour’s plan to house migrants in military bases is currently costing more than hotels.
Keeping 350 people in Crowborough is costing taxpayers £160 a night - £16 more expensive than the average hotel room.
But the site’s operator, Clearspring Ready Homes, admitted the “main thrust” of their plan is to cram more people into already overstretched communities.
Chris Lakey, the firm’s CEO, told MPs: “Our main thrust has always been to come away from hotels and to try to get back to our core business, which, as you quite rightly identified, is dispersal accommodation.
“We have had negotiations and conversations with the Home Office and with the local authorities and communities about how we can significantly increase dispersal.
“We have plans in place to increase dispersal by up to 10,000 additional bedspaces and we are about 50% of the way through the proposals to do that. They have been submitted to the Home Office and they are now at the proposal stage.”
Some 2,500 migrants are expected to be moved into some of the new homes in the coming weeks and months.
The properties will be furnished after a “consultation” with local councils.
But “they are proposed, ready to go, and waiting to be turned live”, Mr Lakey added.
And the asylum accommodation provider admitted there are a limited number of properties.
This, he revealed, has led to new proposals being drawn up.
“We are working with two local authorities at the moment that have sites that they are hoping to use for social housing, but they are too big for that”, Mr Lakey told the Home Affairs Select Committee.
“We are looking at maybe using them as part social housing, part asylum/DA accommodation. A few conversations are going on at the minute.
“Basically, half the site would be for asylum, half the site would be for move-on accommodation for when somebody gets a move-on decision.”
There are now 68,719 asylum seekers living in houses, flats and bedsits - including large HMOs - in communities across the country.
And Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has vowed to close every migrant hotel by the next General Election.