Migrants on a small boat attempt to cross the English Channel. Getty Images
Migrants on a small boat attempt to cross the English Channel. Getty Images
Migrants on a small boat attempt to cross the English Channel. Getty Images
Migrants on a small boat attempt to cross the English Channel. Getty Images

UK urged to cut migrant hotel stays to free up overseas aid budget


Thomas Harding
  • English
  • Arabic

The British government has been urged by international organisations to divert its spending on asylum seekers' hotel bills to make up the shortfall in its overseas aid budget.

A record surge in migrant crossings into the UK has seen one fifth of foreign aid cash – £2.8 billion last year – used for migrant accommodation. A group of 106 international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and charities have told Prime Minister Keir Starmer to break the costly hotel contracts and put migrants in more basic accommodation.

With Britain cutting its foreign aid budget from 0.5 per cent of national income to 0.3 per cent, in a letter to the Prime Minister the organisations said the huge costs for housing asylum seekers were damaging "efforts to create a more stable and peaceful world”.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is being urged to put migrants in cheaper accommodation than hotels. AFP
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is being urged to put migrants in cheaper accommodation than hotels. AFP

Rather than pay hotel costs of £145 a night per refugee, the signatories urged the government to move them into large houses, flats or bedsits to cut costs. Currently, more than 38,000 migrants are in hotels while nearly 66,000 are in other accommodation.

The NGOs and charities called on the Home Office to trigger a break clause for a 10-year contract worth £4.6 billion for migrant accommodation, an action that can be taken next January. But the Home Office, which has a legal obligation to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute, has resisted the move as there remains a lack of housing space across the country.

Record crossings

That pressure is likely to grow with the unusually benign weather in the English Channel this year leading to mass crossings. So far a record 8,888 people have made the journey this year, 42 per cent higher than in mid-April 2024. Tuesday saw the highest number of arrivals on a single day this year, when 705 migrants made the approximately 40km sea journey in 12 rubber inflatable boats.

Ministers hope to stop the flow in further agreements with France, including a migrant exchange deal, but that will take time.

‘Make the world safer’

Mr Starmer has promised to stop the use of the foreign aid budget for domestic asylum costs, but this is proving difficult, although the £2.8 billion spent last year was less than the £4.3 billion in 2023. Those are still staggering amounts, argue the charities and NGOs. They say they want to “express our concerns about the continued use of UK aid to pay for supporting people seeking asylum in the UK”.

In the letter obtained, by The Times, they also highlighted the long-term benefit of using UK aid “to help make the world a safer and more secure place”. They added: “We strongly encourage efforts to support refugees in the UK, but the current system is not fit for purpose.”

The letter was backed by MP Sarah Champion, chairwoman of the International Development Select Committee. The Refugee Council, International Rescue Committee UK, Safe Passage International and WaterAid were also signatories.

In a statement to The National, the Home Office said it was already closing asylum hotels which would “drastically reduce taxpayer costs”.

“Under the previous government, the [overseas] development budget was redirected towards the asylum backlog, which is now being tackled at record pace to redirect our focus on international priorities overseas,” it stated.

It added that decisions on people’s asylum status had increased by 52 per cent in the last six months, while the department had removed 24,000 illegal immigrants since last year’s election.

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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champioons League semi-final:

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Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)

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Company Profile

Company name: Yeepeey

Started: Soft launch in November, 2020

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What is graphene?

Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.

It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.

It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.

It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.

Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.

The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
At a glance

- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years

- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills

- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis

- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector

- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes

- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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Transmission Six-speed gearbox

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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

Reputation

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While you're here
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction

Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.

Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.

Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.

Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.

Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.

What are the guidelines?

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.

Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.

Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.

Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.

Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.

Source: American Paediatric Association
Updated: April 18, 2025, 11:43 AM`