The Signal Intel

West Midlands Police FOI disclosure (Reference: 290A/25 and 257A/25) reveals nearly £2.8 million spent on diversity schemes between 2019-2025. BREAKDOWN: - Salaries for DEI staff: £2,595,398 - Training: £184,602 - Total: £2,780,000 HISTORICAL DATA: - 2019: 2 full-time equivalent DEI roles - 2023: 8.72 full-time equivalent DEI roles - 2023 peak salary costs: £542,233 - 2025: Reduced to 4 DEI positions CONTEXT: - Force later banned Jewish Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a match against Aston Villa (November 2025) - Decision criticized by Jewish leaders and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch - Home Affairs Committee found police "misled Parliament" - Chief Constable Craig Guildford facing calls to resign - Police falsely claimed Jewish community leaders supported the ban (denied by Birmingham & West Midlands Jewish Community chair) The force's FOI response states it wants to "enhance equality of opportunity and equality of access for all who live and work in the West Midlands." Source: West Midlands Police FOI, January 2026

Gwent Police FOI disclosure reveals: - DEI staff salaries: £110,000 per year - External training courses: £13,115 - Total: £123,115 annually For comparison, a police constable in Gwent starts at £28,551. The £110,000 spent on DEI staff salaries alone could fund nearly 4 starting constable positions. Source: Gwent Police FOI via WhatDoTheyKnow

Kent County Council (KCC) spent £41.6 million on asylum seeker social care in 2024-25 - the highest of any council in England and double the second-highest spender. KEY DETAILS: - Up from £9.9 million in 2019-20 (319% increase) - Represents £31.7 million rise over five years - £1,000 per week funding for asylum-seeking children under 18 - £270 per week for care leavers aged 18-21 - Zero funding for care leavers aged 21-25 despite legal obligation to support them Leader Linden Kemkaran wrote to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood requesting additional funding, blaming "successive governments' abysmal record on stopping small boats crossings." The council is legally required to accept all children arriving via small boats. The number of children arriving in Kent has quadrupled to 16,000 in the past 10 years. Source: Kent Live/TaxPayers' Alliance, February 2026

TaxPayers' Alliance analysis of council spending data reveals £744 million spent on asylum seeker social care in 2024-25, up 148% from £299 million in 2019-20. BREAKDOWN: - Adult asylum seeker support: £133.9 million (up 165% from £50.6m in 2019-20) - Children's asylum social care: £287.2 million (children with families) - Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC): £322.6 million TOP COUNCILS: 1. Kent County Council: £41.6 million (up from £9.9m in 2019-20 - 319% increase) 2. Hampshire County Council: £23.9 million (up from zero in 2019-20) 3. Manchester: £23.2 million 4. Surrey: £22.6 million (up from £1,243 - increase of 1,820,536%) 5. Bristol: £19.2 million 6. Essex: £15.2 million HAMPSHIRE DETAIL: - Total: £31.7 million across all Hampshire councils - £23.935 million by Hampshire County Council - £20.1 million for looked-after asylum-seeking children - £1.92 million for adult asylum seekers - 305 unaccompanied children as of March 2024, falling to 181 by March 2025 Note: This is separate from Home Office asylum support (hotels, dispersal housing, meals, subsistence). Source: TaxPayers' Alliance research, February 2026

Metropolitan Police FOI disclosure (Reference: 01.FOI.25.042955) reveals £3.65 million spent on Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion from April 2024 to February 2025. Covered approximately 51 full-time police officers and staff dedicated to DEI work. This figure includes: - Salaries - Overtime - Related expenses The Metropolitan Police is the largest police force in the UK and has been seeking additional government funding while spending significantly on DEI. Source: Metropolitan Police FOI disclosure log, April 2025

GB News FOI investigation (May 2025) revealed police forces across England spending over £10 million on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) posts and training. TOTAL FIGURES: - £9,374,457.30 on DEI wages - £910,852 on training courses - £10,285,309 total - Equivalent to 354 police officers at £29k starting salary TOP SPENDING FORCES: 1. West Yorkshire: 19 jobs, £1,069,188 wages + £361,000 training = £1,430,188 2. Thames Valley: 17 jobs, £1,085,170 wages (no training disclosed) 3. City of London: 8 jobs, £767,235 wages + £89,565 training = £856,800 4. Essex: 10 jobs, £614,556 wages + £3,843 training = £618,399 5. Durham: 14 jobs, £589,116 wages + £8,055 training = £597,171 TRAINING SPENDING: - Surrey: £366,870.56 training (highest training spend) - West Yorkshire: £361,000 training - City of London: £89,565 training Notably: Cumbria Police reported zero DEI roles or costs. Greater Manchester Police and North Yorkshire Police refused to disclose figures. Source: GB News FOI investigation, May 2025

**KEY FINDING:** UK asylum support costs consumed 20% of the total foreign aid budget in 2024. **SPECIFIC NUMBERS:** - £2.8 billion spent supporting refugees in the UK in 2024 - This represents 20% of the total UK aid budget - Includes accommodation costs for thousands of asylum seekers - Government committed to ending use of asylum hotels **CONTEXT:** International rules allow governments to spend some of their foreign aid budgets at home to support asylum seekers during the first year after arrival. This means funds intended for international development are being redirected to domestic asylum accommodation. **CONNECTION TO FOREIGN AID CUTS:** This £2.8bn domestic spending occurs alongside: - £6bn cuts to overseas aid budget by 2027 - 56% reduction in bilateral aid to Africa (£900m cut) - Aid budget falling to 0.3% of GNI (lowest in cash terms since 2012) **POLITICAL CONTEXT:** Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced aid priorities on 19 March 2026, stating funding will focus on "greatest crisis and conflict" areas while cutting bilateral aid to Africa and redirecting funds to defence spending.

**FOREIGN AID CUTS ANNOUNCED MARCH 2026:** **Overall Reduction:** £6bn cut from overseas aid budget by 2027 **New Aid Level:** 0.3% of GNI (down from 0.5%) **Total Aid Budget:** Estimated £9.2bn at 0.3% GNI (House of Commons Library briefing) **Africa Bilateral Aid Cuts:** - Bilateral aid to African nations cut by almost £900 million by 2028-29 - This represents a 56% reduction - Funding for schools, clinics, and vital services in poorest countries affected **Protected Countries (Fully Protected Funding 2026-27):** - Ukraine - Palestine - Lebanon - Sudan **Countries Facing Significant Reductions:** - Mozambique - Pakistan - Yemen (humanitarian priority but direct grant reductions) - Somalia (humanitarian priority but direct grant reductions) - Afghanistan (humanitarian priority but direct grant reductions) **Asylum Support Costs Within Aid Budget:** - £2.8bn (20% of total aid budget) spent supporting refugees in UK in 2024 - Includes accommodation costs for asylum seekers - Government committed to ending use of asylum hotels **Context:** Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced priorities on 19 March 2026, stating funding will focus on "greatest crisis and conflict" areas. Labour MP Sarah Champion warned cuts would "make the whole world more vulnerable" and could lead to more people "coming to our shores." Bond CEO Romilly Greenhill stated: "Africa and the Middle East, both home to some of the world's least-developed countries, will be forced to pay the highest price."

BBC Verify FOI analysis (published 18 July 2025): - £2.1bn spent on hotel accommodation (April 2024 - March 2025) - Average: £5.77 million per day (down from £8.3m/day previous year) - Previous year: £3bn spent (April 2023 - March 2024) COST PER PERSON DECREASED: - Average nightly cost per person fell from £162.16 (March 2023) to £118.87 (March 2025) - Reduction driven by: room sharing, cheaper accommodation, moving families to regular housing - 273 hotels in use (March 2024) reduced by 71 SAVINGS FACTORS: - Government moved asylum seekers from hotels to HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) - Properties acquired through contracts with Serco - Renegotiated contract elements with providers WRITEOFFS: - £48.5m written off after scrapping RAF Scampton site plans - £270m paid to Rwanda not refunded after scheme scrapped BBC FOI SOURCE: Home Office annual accounts; FOI request data obtained by BBC Verify

Fourth Report of Session 2024-26 from Home Affairs Committee (published 27 October 2025): KEY FIGURES: - Expected cost 2019-29: £15.3 billion (vs original estimate of £4.5 billion = 340% increase) - People accommodated: 103,000 (June 2025) vs 47,500 (end of 2018) - Hotels: 32,059 people (June 2025) down from 56,042 (September 2023) - Hotels still 8% higher than June 2024 COST BREAKDOWN: - Average cost per person per night in hotels: £144.98 - Average cost per person per night in dispersal accommodation: £23.25 - Hotels = 35% of people accommodated, 76% of annual contract costs (£1.3bn of £1.7bn in 2024-25) - Home Office "neglected day-to-day management of contracts" - Two providers owe millions in excess profits (recoupment only started in 2024) CONTRACT FAILURES: - Flawed contract design and incompetent delivery - Home Office failed to protect value for money - Providers (Clearsprings, Serco, Mears) made £383 million profits since 2019 PARLIAMENTARY SOURCE: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmhaff/580/report.html

Three main accommodation providers made record profits from asylum contracts: FINANCIAL DATA: - Clearsprings Ready Homes, Serco, Mears: £383 million combined profits since 2019 - Equivalent to approximately £146 per minute - Mears Group returned £13.8 million in excess profits to Home Office (after exceeding 6% profit cap) - Mears profit rate reached 17% in Northern Ireland (vs 6% contractual limit) PROVIDER DETAILS: - Clearsprings: Principal business is Home Office accommodation; reported 60% increase in pre-tax profit to £120mn (2025) - Contracts signed by Conservative government require providers to pay back profits over 5% - Two providers still owe millions to Home Office (recoupment process only started in 2024) CONTRACT VALUE: - Total contract value: £4 billion - Home Office holds no centralised data on provider performance - Joint investigation by openDemocracy and Liberty Investigates found government failing to monitor providers OPCDEMOCRACY SOURCE: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/home-office-not-monitoring-asylum-seekers-accommodation-providers-billion-pound-contracts-clearsprings-serco-mears/

Home Office asylum spending figures - Year ending June 2025 TOTAL SPENDING 2024/25: £4.76 billion (down 12% from £5.38bn in 2023/24) HOTEL ACCOMMODATION: - 32,059 asylum seekers in hotels (as of end June 2025) - Up 8% from 29,585 a year earlier - Still below peak of 56,042 (September 2023) - Average nightly rate cut from £162 to £119 HOTEL COSTS BY NAO: - 2024-25: Hotels cost £1.3 billion (76% of total accommodation spend of £1.7bn) - Hotels house only 35% of asylum seekers but cost 76% of budget - Reduction of 30% in hotel costs year-on-year 10-YEAR CONTRACT PROJECTION: £15.3 billion (trebled from original £4.5 billion estimate) Parliamentary context: Home Affairs Committee described Home Office spending as "squandered"

Home Office asylum accommodation contracts - NAO Report May 2025 10-YEAR CONTRACT COST: £15.3 billion (trebled from original £4.5 billion estimate) 2024-25 COSTS: - Total accommodation contracts: £1.7 billion - Hotel accommodation alone: £1.3 billion (76% of total) - Hotels house 35% of asylum seekers Note: Hotel costs dropped 30% in FY 2024/25 due to hotel closures and shift to other accommodation PARLIAMENTARY CONTEXT: - Home Affairs Committee evidence session 13 May 2025 - Initial contract estimates "more than tripled" - External factors cited: Covid-19 pandemic and small boat arrivals Source: NAO Report HC 874 Session 2024-25

**Key Figures:** - **£4.76 billion** spent on asylum accommodation in 2024/25 (down 12% from £5.38bn peak in 2023/24) - **32,059 asylum seekers** in UK hotels by end of June 2025 (up 8% year-on-year from 29,585) - **Nightly hotel rates** dropped from £162 to £119 between April 2024 and March 2025 - **London outlier**: 65% of asylum seekers placed in hotels in capital (vs national average 37%) - **111,084 people** applied for asylum in year to June 2025 (highest since records began in 2001) - **90,812 people** waiting for initial decision at end of June 2025 (down 17% from March) **Context:** - Labour inherited system with 56,042 asylum seekers in hotels at peak (September 2023) - Current hotel numbers still below Conservative peak but rising under Labour - Home Office pushing down nightly rates and increasing occupancy to cut costs - Labour pledged to phase out hotels by 2029 but faces legal challenges and protests **Significance:** Despite 12% spending reduction, hotel placements increased 8% under Labour government, showing ongoing high costs of asylum accommodation system.

**Key Finding:** Home Office refused FOI request from journalist Lewis Brackpool seeking details about which NGOs and charities shape asylum accommodation policy, citing journalist's social media activity as a "safety risk." **Details:** - FOI request sought internal notes and summaries from National Asylum Stakeholder Forum (NASF) and Strategic Engagement Group (SEG) - Home Office used Sections 36 and 38 of Freedom of Information Act to justify secrecy - Claimed disclosure could lead to "public backlash" and endanger individuals involved in policy meetings - Officials argued transparency could "reduce quality of decision-making" and place "additional strain on public order resources" - MP Rupert Lowe wrote to Home Secretary calling it "clear breach of FOI Act 2000 and its central principle that requests must be treated applicant-blind" **Significance:** Government department using requester's identity and social media activity to block transparency about NGO influence on asylum accommodation policy, which involves billions in taxpayer spending.

**Source:** GB News / Epping Forest District Council **Date:** March 2026 **CASE DETAILS:** - Location: The Bell Hotel, Epping, Essex - Issue: Legal challenge to stop asylum seekers being housed at hotel - **Outcome:** Legal battle FAILED - **Cost to taxpayers: £566,000** (Epping Forest District Council expenditure) **NOTE:** Bell Hotel has been a focal point for protests against asylum accommodation. Council's failed legal challenge adds to taxpayer burden while achieving no reduction in asylum hotel usage. **CONTEXT:** This is separate from the actual cost of housing asylum seekers at the hotel, which is paid by the Home Office.

**Source:** Home Office Annual Accounts 2024-25; National Audit Office Report **Date:** Figures published 2025 **ASYLUM HOTEL EXPENDITURE:** - **2024-25 (Apr 2024 - Mar 2025): £2.1 billion total** - **Daily rate: £5.77 million per day** - **2023-24 comparison: £3 billion total, £8.3 million per day** - Year-on-year reduction of approximately 30% **TOTAL ASYLUM SYSTEM COST:** - **2024-25: £4.76 billion** - **2023-24: £5.38 billion (record high)** - 12% reduction year-on-year **CURRENT HOTEL POPULATION:** - 32,059 asylum seekers in hotels (June 2025) - Peak was 56,042 (September 2023) - Hotels house 35% of all asylum seekers **CONTRACT COST INEFFICIENCY:** - Hotels = 35% of people but 76% of annual contract costs - Hotel cost: £1.3 billion out of £1.7 billion estimated 2024-25 contract costs **GOVERNMENT TARGET:** End asylum hotel use by 2029

PARLIAMENTARY REPORT: Home Affairs Committee - "The Home Office's management of asylum accommodation" (Fourth Report Session 2024-26, October 2025) KEY FIGURES: - Expected cost of asylum accommodation contracts (10 years, 2019-29): £15.3 billion (more than tripled from original £4.5 billion estimate) - Asylum seekers accommodated: 47,500 (end 2018) → 103,000 (June 2025) - Hotel occupants: 32,059 people (June 2025), down from peak 56,042 (September 2023) - Hotels in use: 273 (March 2024) reduced by 71 FOI-DERIVED DATA (via BBC Verify): - Hotel accommodation spend: £2.1 billion (April 2024 - March 2025) - Previous year: £3 billion (2023-24) - Daily average cost: £5.77m (down from £8.3m) - Average nightly cost per person: £118.87 (down from £162.16 in March 2023) - 273 hotels in use as of March 2024 WRITEOFFS/FAILED SCHEMES: - £48.5 million written off for RAF Scampton site (Labour scrapped Conservative asylum barracks plan) - £270 million paid to Rwanda not refunded after scheme scrapped DISTRIBUTION ISSUES: Accommodation unevenly distributed, creating community tensions and pressure on local services. Limited progress on fairer distribution plans. Source: Parliamentary publication; BBC Verify FOI analysis

Home Affairs Committee report on asylum accommodation (published 27 October 2025, Government response January 2026): - Asylum accommodation costs trebled from original estimate: £4.5 billion to £15.3 billion over 10 years - Hotel accommodation accounts for 35% of people in asylum accommodation but 76% of annual contract costs (£1.3 billion of £1.7 billion in 2024-25) - Number of people in Home Office asylum accommodation rose 134% between December 2019 (47,000) and 2024 (110,000) - NAO report confirms excess profits owed by providers yet to be reclaimed - No performance penalties applied for poor performance at Napier, Wethersfield or asylum hotels - Home Affairs Committee Chair: "The Home Office has presided over a failing asylum accommodation system that has cost taxpayers billions of pounds"

The UK will spend £2.1 billion on housing and welfare for asylum seekers in 2025-26 financial year, according to the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI). This represents £19,163 per person compared to an average of just £4,600 in other major countries. Spending was £2.8 billion last year (2024), and while reduced, remains 'far above historical levels'. The watchdog warns that only 'modest reductions' are expected in coming years, with asylum costs continuing to absorb approximately one-fifth of the UK aid budget. The shift to 'large sites' (former military sites, barges, unused office buildings) could actually cost more than hotels. Home Office officials focus on 'meeting statutory obligations' while the impact on aid budget is 'outside their control'. Aid charities condemn using overseas development funding for UK asylum support.

The Home Office is terminating its £2 billion annual contract with Stay Belvedere Hotels (SBHL), one of the largest providers of asylum accommodation, citing concerns about the company's performance and behaviour. SBHL provides around 25% of Home Office asylum accommodation across 51 hotels in England and Wales, plus Napier Barracks in Kent. The contract was originally agreed in 2019 under a sub-contract with accommodation services provider Clearsprings. The earliest point at which the Home Office can exit the contract without break penalties is September 2026. Border security and asylum minister Angela Eagle said 'significant elements' of the company's behaviour 'fell short of what we'd expect from a government supplier'. The government will conduct a 'full audit' of its supply chains.

North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership approved severe budget cuts after facing a £9m cash deficit (reduced from £17m after Scottish Government covered NHS staff pay awards). The Integration Joint Board voted 6-1 to implement a 'critical only' threshold for funded social care support, meaning only the most critical cases will receive funded care. The policy takes effect from April 1, 2026, applying to all new community care assessments and existing service users at their next review. Labour councillor Nairn Angus-McDonald warned this would mean "longer waits, deteriorating health, preventable crises becoming unavoidable emergencies."

Rotherham Council approved a 3.95% council tax rise on March 4, 2026, increasing Band D bills by £73.89 to £1,944.52 annually. Council leaders cited rising costs, particularly in social care, with the authority expecting to spend around £13.4m more on adult and children's care services this year due to rising demand and increasingly complex needs. While government funding increased by £13.2m, officers stated much of this additional money will be absorbed by these pressures. The budget passed with Labour majority support while Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Reform councillors voted against.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced on March 19 2026 that UK aid spending on overseas programmes will reach its lowest level since records began in 1970, falling to 0.24% of GNI by 2027-28. The cost of housing asylum seekers in UK hotels - running at roughly £2bn a year - is taken from the aid budget, directly reducing funds available for international development programmes. This comes as the government cuts about £6bn from the overseas aid budget by 2027 to fund defence spending increases.

Hackney Council has approved a 4.99% council tax rise for 2026/27, with Band D properties paying £2,060.30 annually. The budget includes £33.8m in spending cuts as the borough grapples with sharp increases in demand for social care and homelessness prevention services. Despite a 25% increase in core spending power from central government over four years until 2029/30, the council still needs to find £10m more in savings by the end of the decade. The budget allocates £201m for managing and maintaining council homes, £130m to support financially vulnerable residents, and £23.5m on street cleaning and waste collection.

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact reports that UK asylum support costs £19,163 per person compared to an average of just £4,600 for other major countries. The UK will spend £2.1 billion on housing and welfare for asylum seekers in 2025-26, down from £2.8 billion last year. Despite this reduction, the watchdog predicts only 'modest reductions' in future spending. The funding system 'has not encouraged long-term planning to secure improvements in value for money' and there has been 'serious and sustained criticism of the Home Office's management' of in-donor refugee costs (IDRC). The Home Office has little incentive to make efficiencies because asylum support comes from the UK aid budget rather than Home Office funds.

The Guardian reports that the cost of housing asylum seekers in UK hotels - running at roughly £2 billion a year - is taken from the foreign aid budget. This comes alongside 56% cuts to bilateral aid to African countries (from £818m in 2026 to £677m by 2029). By 2027-28, aid spending on overseas programmes is expected to reach its lowest since records began in 1970.

Wigan Council has approved a 4.99% council tax rise from April 2026, equating to around £1.30 per week for Band A households and £1.94 per week for Band D properties. The budget includes a savings target of £14.2 million for the year, with 2% of the rise ring-fenced for adult social care. Opposition councillors criticised the 'above inflation rise' hitting struggling families.

Home Office data shows £2.1 billion was spent on hotel accommodation for asylum seekers between April 2024 and March 2025, down £900 million from the previous year. As of December 2025, 30,657 asylum seekers were housed in hotels across the UK, with 147 in Coventry hotels specifically. The Home Office has pledged to 'close every asylum hotel' by 2029, with work underway to use more suitable sites like military barracks.

In a speech on 5 March 2026, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that last year alone, £4 billion was spent on asylum accommodation in the UK. She also revealed that over 100,000 people currently live in asylum accommodation paid for by the taxpayer, including both those awaiting asylum claims/appeals and thousands who have failed their claims but cannot be returned to their home country. The Home Secretary noted that supporting a family of 3 in asylum hotel accommodation costs up to £158,000 per year.

Knowsley Council has confirmed a 4.99% council tax increase for the 2026/27 financial year, the maximum amount available. The local authority warned that without the increase, around £4m of funding would be lost annually and the council would face financial failure. Key details: - 4.99% council tax increase approved - Without increase, £4m annual funding loss projected - Council finance lead admitted government support "still not enough" - Band A properties face approximately 25p per week increase - No cuts to services for seventh year running claimed - No job losses at local authority claimed - Council leader said "difficult decisions" had to be made given increasing financial pressures and rising demand for services

The UK government has announced major cuts to its foreign aid budget, with bilateral aid to African nations falling by almost £900 million by 2028-29 - a 56% reduction. This is part of saving efforts intended to free up funds for defence spending. The cuts will affect programmes supporting vulnerable populations across Africa, the Middle East, and other low-income regions. Key details: - Bilateral overseas development aid to Africa will fall from £818 million in 2026 to £677 million by 2029 - Funding will be "fully protected" for Ukraine, Palestine, Lebanon and Sudan - Mozambique and Pakistan are among those having the biggest cuts to their direct grants - Aid to G20 countries outside conflict zones (Brazil, India, Indonesia, South Africa) will largely be phased out - The UK will pivot to multilateral aid contributions through World Bank and African Development Bank rather than direct funding - Costs for housing asylum seekers in UK hotels (£2 billion annually) will still come from the aid budget - UK overseas aid will fall to 0.24% of gross national income by 2027-28 - lowest since records began in 1970

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) report reveals that UK spent £2.8bn on housing asylum seekers and migrants in 2024, representing 20% of the entire foreign aid budget. This is down from £4.3bn (28% of aid budget) in 2023. The reduction is attributed to reduced hotel use and increased returns of failed asylum seekers. However, the ICAI warns that these "in-donor refugee costs" (IDRC) pose a "serious risk to value for money" as they automatically displace funds from overseas development spending regardless of value for money relative to UK objectives. The UK's spending on asylum accommodation is "double or triple" that of other comparable nations and is the highest cost per head.

One of the UK's biggest asylum accommodation providers, Mears, has returned £13.8m to the Home Office after making more profit than its contracts allow. The company's permitted rate of profit on these contracts is capped at about 6%, but Mears' operations across the UK exceeded that limit by £13.8m. Mears recorded its highest rate of profit in Northern Ireland, peaking at 17%. The differential was due in part to the fact asylum seekers in Northern Ireland do not have to be dispersed among different local authorities like they do in the rest of UK, reducing transport and administrative costs. The company said it is working to end its use of hotels with about 246 asylum seekers currently housed in them in Northern Ireland.

The UK is cutting bilateral aid to Africa by 56% by 2028/9 compared to 2024/5 levels, as part of 40% overall aid budget cuts. Countries affected include Kenya (£80m aid in 2024/5), South Africa (£11m), Uganda (£44m), Sierra Leone (£30m), and Malawi (£50m). Meanwhile, asylum accommodation costs consume approximately 20% of the total UK aid budget (£2.1bn in 2025-26). Climate finance also falls from £11.6bn over five years to 2026 to £6bn over the next three years - a drop of almost 15%.

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact report reveals the UK will spend £2.1 billion on housing and welfare for asylum seekers in 2025-26, with costs reaching £19,163 per person - compared to an average of just £4,600 for other major countries. Spending was £2.8 billion last year. The watchdog warns only 'modest reductions' are expected in future, and asylum support will continue to absorb approximately one-fifth of the UK aid budget. Home Office officials have little incentive to make efficiencies because asylum support comes from the aid budget, not Home Office funds.

The Home Office is terminating its contract with Stay Belvedere Hotels (SBHL), one of the largest providers of asylum accommodation, worth around £2 billion per year. SBHL houses asylum seekers in 51 hotels in England and Wales plus Napier Barracks in Folkestone. The contract, awarded in 2019, will end at the earliest opportunity in September 2026 after a review raised concerns about the company's performance and behaviour. The Home Office said it would not hesitate to take further action to ensure contracts deliver value for money.

Government statistics show the UK spent £2.8bn, or 20% of its foreign aid budget, supporting refugees and asylum seekers within the UK in 2024. This includes accommodation costs for thousands of asylum seekers who have recently arrived. The foreign aid budget is being cut from 0.5% to 0.3% of GNI by 2027, with total aid estimated at £9.2bn at 0.3%. This means domestic asylum support continues to consume a significant portion of the reduced aid budget.

Bradford Council approves 4.99% council tax rise for 2026-27 financial year. Authority needs to make £60.6m in savings. Band D properties face £93.40 annual increase (£1.80/week), Band A properties £62.28/year (£1.20/week). Council tax rose by just under 10% in 2025, prompting protests. Labour leader Susan Hinchcliffe said budget invests in young people and restores previously cut services. Conservative group proposed 3.99% rise but was criticised as 'unworkable'.

Home Office terminating asylum accommodation contract with Allerton Court Hotel in Northallerton (Rishi Sunak's constituency). Hotel has housed family groups of asylum seekers for several years. Contract termination effective from beginning of June 2026. Part of government plan to end use of hotels for asylum accommodation by 2029. Last year, Home Office considered using hotel for single male asylum seekers but dropped plan after opposition from council and Sunak. Home Office says 'work is well under way to close every asylum hotel, with more suitable sites being brought forward to ease pressure on communities and cut asylum costs'.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced UK will cut £6bn from overseas aid budget by 2027 to fund defence spending increases. Africa faces 56% cuts (£900m reduction) from £818m to £677m by 2028-29. Meanwhile, UK spent £2.8bn (20% of entire aid budget) on asylum seekers in UK in 2024. Funding protected for Ukraine, Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan while poorest nations face severe reductions. Bilateral aid to G20 countries (Brazil, India, Indonesia, South Africa) being phased out. UK aid spending falling to 0.24% of GNI by 2027-28 - lowest since records began in 1970.

Government recovered £74m from excessive profits made by companies running asylum accommodation following contract review. However, overall asylum accommodation cost was £2.1bn in 2024/25 - average of £5.77m per day. This makes the recovered sum less than the cost for the government of accommodation every fortnight. Costs reduced from £3bn (£8.3m per day) in 2023/24 to £2.1bn (£5.77m per day) in 2024/25 due to room sharing and cheaper accommodation.

The Home Office has terminated the asylum accommodation contract with Allerton Court Hotel in Northallerton, Richmond and Northallerton constituency of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The hotel will stop housing family groups of asylum seekers from beginning of June 2026. The government has pledged to end use of hotels for asylum seekers entirely by 2029. North Yorkshire Council leader Carl Les welcomed the move but requested more information about plans for moving asylum seekers out of hotels into other accommodation. Sunak said he was 'encouraged' by the update.

Conservative-led Epping Forest District Council spent £566,000 on a failed legal battle to stop asylum seekers being housed at The Bell Hotel in Epping. The council lost its High Court case in November 2025. The legal bill represents 2.64% of the council's £21.4m budget for 2026/27. Costs awarded to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood (£66,000) and Somani Hotels Ltd (£95,000) were included in the total. The council returned to court on March 5 2026 seeking leave to appeal. The figure was revealed via a BBC Freedom of Information request accurate as of February 2026.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced on March 19 2026 that UK bilateral aid funding will be reduced with 'fully protected' funding for Ukraine, Palestine, Lebanon and Sudan next year. Mozambique and Pakistan face the biggest cuts to direct grants. Africa funding will be cut by 56% (£900m reduction) while conflict zones receive protected funding. The government announced last year it would cut about £6bn from overseas budget by 2027 to fund defence spending increase. Aid groups criticised 'reckless' cuts and Labour MP Sarah Champion warned the approach would 'make the whole world more vulnerable'. Bond warned of severe cuts particularly for Middle East and Africa.

The UK government is cutting bilateral aid to Africa by 56% (£874m reduction) from 2026-2029, reducing funding from £818m in 2026 to £677m by 2029. This comes as the cost of housing asylum seekers in UK hotels runs at roughly £2bn per year, which is taken from the aid budget. By 2027-28, aid spending on overseas programmes is expected to reach its lowest since records began in 1970 at just 0.24% of gross national income. The cuts will affect programmes in schools, clinics, healthcare, and education across Africa, while domestic asylum accommodation costs continue to consume aid resources.

According to Migration Observatory analysis for 2024/25, the average daily cost of housing an asylum seeker in a hotel is £170 per person, compared to £27 for other types of accommodation - over six times more expensive. The three-month average nightly rate in asylum hotels declined from £162 in April 2024 to £119 in March 2025. With 32,345 asylum seekers in hotels as of March 2025, this costs approximately £3,849,055 per night (£119 × 32,345). The cost reduction is attributed to Home Office closing some hotels, accommodating more people per hotel, implementing room-sharing policies, and choosing cheaper hotels.

Glasgow City Council is facing a £110m budget gap by 2028, with more than £65m of the shortfall from pressure associated with homelessness. The council houses around 4,000 asylum seekers, which is putting pressure on city services. Costs from a UK Government decision to speed up processing of asylum claims will rise to £43m in 2025/26 and £66m in 2026/27 unless policy changes. Even with a 5% council tax increase for two years, the council would still face an £80m black hole.