This week, the Home Affairs Committee report on asylum accommodation confirms what RAMFEL, our clients, and many others have said for years - the Government’s reliance on hotels and large-scale sites has created a system that is unsafe, unaccountable, and inhumane.
​
The Committee found that the Home Office “has not demonstrated that it has had a strategy for the delivery of asylum accommodation,” relying instead on “a series of hasty, short-term responses” that have wasted taxpayer money and left thousands of people in limbo. It revealed widespread failures in oversight, contract management, and safeguarding and an “inexplicable and unacceptable failure of accountability” as the Home Office has failed to penalise providers when serious harm to human life has occurred.

The report highlights that billions of pounds of public money has been wasted on hotel accommodation, with little to show for it other than profit for private providers and harm for the people forced to live in these conditions.
Hotels, which were supposed to be used only in the short term, have become the default form of asylum accommodation due to years of poor planning and failed contracting. This has left people seeking safety isolated in unsuitable areas, cut off from services, and living in conditions that harm their wellbeing.

At RAMFEL, we’ve seen this first-hand. Many of our clients have spent months, sometimes years, trapped in hotel rooms that were never intended for long-term use. They face uncertainty, inedible food, lack of privacy, and difficulty accessing healthcare, education, and community life. These are not exceptions; they are the predictable outcomes of a system built on profit rather than care.

The report sets out clear recommendations to begin addressing these issues:

• A clear national strategy with milestones to reduce hotel use before the end of current contracts in 2029
• The reinstatement of the 56-day move-on period for people whose asylum claims have been determined and a minimum 28-day notice for local authorities when new sites are opened
• Stronger oversight of providers, including Key Performance Indicators and financial penalties for failure
• Improved safeguarding frameworks and training for hotel staff
• Urgent reform or replacement of the failing advice, information and support (AIRE) service currently delivered by Migrant Help, which has left many unable to access support or raise complaints

These recommendations make the Government’s next move even more disappointing. Less than 24 hours after this report was published, the Government announced plans to open two new military sites to house asylum seekers - ignoring the report’s findings that large, isolated sites like Wethersfield and Napier are unsafe and unsuitable. Evidence submitted to the Committee warned of a “high risk of suicide” at Wethersfield, calling such sites “not safe or appropriate.”

The lesson is clear. People seeking safety should be housed in communities, not camps or hotels. The Government must focus on compassion, accountability, and long-term solutions not quick political fixes. It must also ensure that profit is never prioritised over the safety and wellbeing of our fellow human beings.

September has been a devastating month for us all in the UK. From the Government’s suspension of all family reunion routes to Labour’s new “contribution-based settlement model”, decisions have left many feeling helpless. These announcements have also emboldened racists and far-right actors, creating an even more hostile environment for already vulnerable communities.

Suspension of all family reunion routes to the UK:
The Government announced the suspension of all refugee family reunion routes to the UK, a devastating move that will separate countless families and further restrict safe routes for those fleeing conflict.
​
Our Head of Campaigns, Nick Beales, was featured in Byline Times, where he described the decision as “a shameful move with devastating consequences.” Nick highlighted that the UK’s already limited family reunion system fails to reflect the realities of war and displacement and warned that both major parties are pursuing ever harsher immigration policies in a race to outflank Reform UK.

He urged leaders to remember the human cost behind these decisions and called for compassion and humanity in the UK’s asylum system.

Labour’s “Contribution-Based Settlement Model”
Following the Cabinet reshuffle after the summer recess, newly appointed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood made a further deeply concerning announcement – the proposed introduction of a new “contribution-based settlement model” for people in the immigration system.
This marks a dangerous shift: Labour is no longer simply seeking to control migration, but is now punishing and demonising people who already live, work and contribute to life in the UK. The proposal would require every migrant applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain to undertake voluntary work.

What this policy fails to recognise is that many migrants already work long hours in low-paid jobs, struggling to afford rent, bills, and basic living costs. Expecting them to do additional work for free is unrealistic and exploitative, and fundamentally undermines the very meaning of volunteering.
Even more worrying is that charities would effectively become extensions of government, tasked with recording and reporting migrants’ hours to assess whether they are “worthy” of settlement. As an organisation that relies on the generosity and commitment of volunteers year-round, RAMFEL refuses to be complicit in such a punitive system. Volunteering should be an act of community and solidarity, not a government-imposed test of belonging.

Unity among the charity sector:
We joined over 100 organisations in signing an open letter coordinated by Refugee Action to urge the new Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to unite communities. The letter outlined that scapegoating won’t fix inequalities, housing shortages, or a crumbling NHS. Real solutions will. It called on the new Home Secretary to engage with frontline organisations and people with lived experience before taking any further action.

Casework Successes in September: 
Despite these challenges, our casework team continued to make a tangible difference in people’s lives:
• 26 families secured permanent immigration status
• 21 people were granted Leave to Remain
• 3 people gained British citizenship 
• 300 families received food parcels