In June 2026, the Home Office announced plans to turn three more military bases into accommodation for asylum seekers, sparking protests and praise alike. The sites – MOD Bicester in Oxfordshire, MOD Barnham in Suffolk, and MOD Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire – could house about 3,750 people if planning permission is granted. The government is also seeking to extend the use of existing military sites in Crowborough, East Sussex until 2030 and Wethersfield, Essex beyond 2027.
The Home Office is moving asylum seekers out of hotels and into former military sites as part of a pledge to stop using asylum hotels entirely by 2029. As of March 2026, 93,653 people were in asylum accommodation across the UK, with 20,885 (22%) in hotels and 72,768 (75%) in other accommodation such as shared housing or military sites. The number in hotels has fallen from a peak of 56,000 in September 2023. The closure of 20 hotels announced in June 2026 – alongside 11 already shut in April – is expected to save taxpayers £170 million this financial year, according to the Home Office.
“An explanation of why the UK is moving asylum seekers from hotels to military barracks, including costs, controversy, and what comes next.”
The use of military barracks for asylum accommodation has been contested by local residents, human rights groups, and politicians. The British Red Cross says barracks “are often in isolated locations and, by their very nature, can retraumatise people who have fled conflict and persecution.” The Refugee Council’s Director of External Affairs Imran Hussein argued the government could lower costs by “housing people in communities and improving Home Office decision-making.” Meanwhile, Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Labour “should be putting illegal immigrants on a plane home rather than messing around with military camps and hotels.”
For UK readers, this policy affects local communities, public spending, and the treatment of vulnerable people. Hotels have become a focal point for anti-migrant protests, but barracks have also sparked opposition – a plan to house up to 300 men at Cameron Barracks in Inverness was dropped after local outcry, according to Lib Dem MP Angus MacDonald. The government argues that fewer Channel crossings (down 12% in the year to March 2026) mean fewer asylum seekers need housing, and that ex-military sites are “a far cry from the hotels” left by the previous government, in the words of Border Security and Asylum Minister Alex Norris.
Q: What are the pros and cons of using military barracks for asylum seekers? A: Supporters say barracks are cheaper and less conspicuous than hotels, and help the government meet its pledge to end hotel use. Critics, including the Red Cross, say they are isolated, can retraumatise people fleeing conflict, and are opposed by local residents.
Q: Why is the UK government closing asylum hotels? A: Hotels are costly – asylum costs have fallen by almost £1 billion – and have been a focus for anti-migrant protests. The government wants to move people into more suitable shared housing or military sites, and aims to stop using hotels entirely by 2029.
Q: How many people seeking asylum are currently housed in the UK? A: As of March 2026, 93,653 people were in asylum accommodation. About 22% were in hotels, 75% in other accommodation (including military sites and shared housing), and the rest in other arrangements. Around 48,758 people were waiting for an initial decision on their claim.
What happens next? The Home Office must secure planning permission for the three new military sites. Immigration reforms are expected to be introduced in Parliament next week, alongside efforts to speed up deportations and reduce the asylum backlog. The government has also extended the use of existing sites at Crowborough until 2030 and Wethersfield beyond 2027, expanding Wethersfield by 1,200 bedspaces.