Army Barracks Housing for Asylum Seekers Costs £160 per Night

A military site in Crowborough housed asylum seekers at a cost of £160 per night during its first four months, according to Home Office figures reported by GB News. The total reached £7.1 million for the period ending in late May. The same data showed the average nightly cost for housing asylum seekers in hotels stood at £144.

Officials said the Crowborough contract runs for 12 months and currently accommodates 480 people, with plans to reach 540.

The contractor Clearsprings Ready Homes manages the site. Officials stated the nightly cost is expected to fall to about £135 by the end of the year. A Home Office minister told MPs the choice of military sites was made for reasons beyond cost, including efforts to deter Channel crossings and provide security features not available at hotels.

A community group in Crowborough has held weekly protests at the site. GB News reported the group’s organiser described residents as “absolutely distraught” over the presence of asylum seekers. A Home Office spokesman said the department does not recognise the £7.1 million figure.

The spokesman added that asylum hotels have been reduced by 35 percent in the past year and overall asylum costs have fallen by nearly £1 billion since the current government took office. Labour MP Chris Murray called for an end to existing 10-year contracts with private providers.

He proposed replacing them with agreements that pay local authorities to convert housing for asylum use.