The new data showed over 73,000 migrants were housed in “non-hotel accommodation” in the 12 months leading up to June 2026.
The figure is three per cent higher than at the end of June 2025 and makes up 78 per cent of all asylum seekers in the UK.
Around 17 per cent of asylum seekers remain in hotel accommodation.
Chris Philp MP, Shadow Home Secretary, response to asylum accommodation release: “Labour are moving illegal immigrants out of hotels and into flats in your building, and now they are telling them to go and disappear without a trace.
“More than 93,000 people are now being housed at the taxpayer’s expense, and the number crammed into dispersal accommodation has climbed by 12 per cent under Labour.
“Illegal immigrants should be deported in the first place, and we should certainly not be encouraging them to just disappear.
“The next Conservative government would deport every illegal immigrant, leaving the ECHR and any other obligation that stands in the way in order to get it done, because the surest way to empty the accommodation is to make plain that nobody who crosses the Channel gets to stay.”
This Liveblog has now been closed.
DUP leader says Andy Burnham has ‘put to bed’ Irish reunification speculation
DUP leader Gavin Robinson praised Andy Burnham
| PA
DUP leader Gavin Robinson said Prime Minister Andy Burnham has “put to bed” speculation over a poll on Irish unity.
Mr Burnham said such a referendum was “off the table” during his first visit to Northern Ireland since entering Downing Street.
Mr Robinson spoke before leading a DUP delegation to meet the Prime Minister.
He said: “It’s particularly encouraging to hear his comments today, putting to bed the nonsense that has been mentioned over many months now around a border poll.
“I shared with you my view of the Secretary of State’s position back in July in Hillsborough Castle, and it’s good to hear the Prime Minister put that issue beyond doubt.”
Sir Ed Davey says ‘cultural shift’ needed surrounding parenthood
Sir Ed Davey has said Britain needs to become “the best place in the world to bring up kids” as protesters gathered across the country to demand more paternity leave.
Addressing a rally in central London on Thursday, the Liberal Democrat leader said the UK was “way behind other countries” and needed a “cultural shift”.
He said: “Bringing up our kids is the most important thing we do, that our country does, and it is the best investment we can make.”
And he took aim at the so-called “manosphere”, accusing social media influencers of providing poor role models for young men.
Speaking to reporters, he said: “They say young men should have more children, and I believe in having happy, healthy families. But they say leave the childcare to women.
“That’s wrong. I think both parents should be involved in the bringing up of their children. That’s great for the dads, great for the mums, great for the kids, great for our country.”
Andy Burnham says united Ireland referendum is ‘off the table’
Andy Burnham confirms a united Ireland is ‘off the table’
| REUTERS
Andy Burnham has said a united Ireland referendum is “off the table”.
Speaking to reporters in Belfast the Prime Minister said: “I’m here, as I said earlier, to listen, and I will take a collaborative approach but some issues will be off the table, and that is one issue that will be off the table.”
He added: “I think we’ve got to focus on bringing people together as best we can, and I think we’ve lived through a decade where there’s been a referendum on Brexit, we had Scottish independence just before it.
“What we find is the rifts that come from those situations take a long time to heal, and it sets you right back and you can’t focus on what’s right in front of us here and now, the cost-of-living pressures that are hurting people in Northern Ireland, the need to get that budget set so that public services can function as they should.
“These are the things right in front of us and sometimes politicians go to things that they want to see, as opposed to getting the solutions that the public need.”
New poll suggests Andy Burnham most popular politician in Scotland
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is the most popular politician in Scotland, a poll suggests.
A survey by the Diffley Partnership, using the online panel of polling firm Survation, spoke to 2,036 people between August 13 and 24.
In net favourability ratings, Mr Burnham came out on top, with a net rating of plus six per cent the only leader with a positive rating.
In second was First Minister John Swinney, who had a minus six per cent rating, followed by both Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay and Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, both on minus eight per cent.
Scottish Green co-leader Gillian Mackay came in at minus nine per cent, though just 31 per cent of respondents gave any rating, with her colleague Ross Greer on minus 16 per cent.
Kemi Badenoch boasted a minus 13 per cent net rating, while Reform UK’s leader in Scotland, Malcolm Offord, came in at minus 17 and his UK-wide boss Nigel Farage recorded a minus 31 per cent net rating.
‘Invasion of Britain continues!’ Zia Yusuf slams Labour after Home Office release immigration figures
Zia Yusuf has warned that new data released by the Home Office shows that “the invasion of Britain continues” and that the country is “at breaking point”.
Reacting to the figures released today, Reform’s home affairs spokesman said: “Today’s figures show the invasion of Britain continues under Labour.
“More than 205,000 people have crossed the Channel in boats since 2018, yet just 5% have been deported.”
“Meanwhile, the number of foreign criminals walking our streets has hit a record 21,294.
“Labour is allowing dangerous foreign criminals to roam freely, posing a serious threat to the British public, while illegal migrants are being dispersed from hotels into HMOs and properties in British communities, with virtually no background checks.
“Now we are seeing record numbers of foreign nationals being granted indefinite leave to remain, giving people unlimited access to our welfare system, all paid for by British taxpayers.
“Britain is at breaking point. Under Reform, illegal boats in the Channel will be stopped by our navy, and all those here illegally will be detained and deported.”