A hotel in Bridgwater, Somerset, previously converted to accommodate asylum seekers, is set to close and revert to its original function following Government plans to overhaul the asylum system.
The Holiday Inn in Bridgwater has housed asylum seekers for several years and is among 13 hotels nationwide that will cease such use, allowing them to return to their owners and communities for regular operation or alternative purposes.
The hotel’s status as asylum accommodation sparked debate in the House of Commons last year. Bridgwater’s Conservative MP, Sir Ashley Fox, criticised its use for housing asylum seekers and called for an end to this practice.
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Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood responded by pointing out that it was the previous Conservative Government that began using hotels for asylum accommodation. She emphasised the current Government’s manifesto commitment to cease hotel use by the end of this parliamentary term and indicated plans to explore larger sites, including military facilities, as alternatives.
In 2025, plans for far-right demonstrations outside the Bridgwater hotel were cancelled after organisers learned that the residents were predominantly families with young children integrating into society.
The closure of the Bridgwater facility is part of the third wave of asylum hotel closures this year, following 19 closures announced in June and 11 in April, including locations in Bristol and Cheltenham. In total, 43 such hotels will no longer serve as asylum accommodation this year.
Three key factors have enabled these closures: a significant reduction in the number of small boat crossings of the English Channel, expedited processing of asylum claims, and a strategic shift towards using military bases and shared housing instead of hotels.
Data shows that 14,819 asylum seekers crossed the Channel by small boats so far this year-a 43 per cent decrease compared to the previous year. This decline is linked to people smugglers resorting to larger vessels, reducing the frequency of crossings.
Processing times for asylum claims have also improved. While the current average wait is 67 weeks, the Government aims to reduce this to 24 weeks. Faster processing will decrease the need for temporary hotel accommodation and help close such facilities promptly.
A Government spokesperson stated that speeding up case resolutions and removals would lower costs and reduce taxpayer-funded accommodation durations.
Since the Labour Government’s appointment in July 2024, nearly 70,000 individuals have been removed from the UK amid a record number of asylum decisions.
Regarding the Bridgwater hotel, the Government confirmed it can now return to standard operations or be repurposed to benefit the local community, supporting town centre businesses, jobs, and nearby establishments.
The closures align with the Home Secretary’s strategy to regain border control and enhance fairness within the immigration system by discouraging illegal migration and easing pressures on local areas.
Plans are underway to utilise vacant Ministry of Defence bases as accommodation alternatives, with proposals submitted for sites such as MOD Bicester in Oxfordshire and two others in eastern England. These sites could house approximately 3,750 asylum seekers.
Immigration Minister Anna Turley remarked that communities in the South West have long witnessed hotels as symbols of a strained asylum system. The Government aims to phase out hotels in favour of larger, basic accommodations like former military sites.
She highlighted that the latest 13 hotel closures are expected to save taxpayers £51 million, contributing to a total of £224 million in savings this year. This adds to nearly £1 billion saved in asylum accommodation costs since the 2024 general election.
This progress contrasts sharply with the previous peak in 2023 when 400 hotels were used for asylum housing at a daily cost of £9 million. The closures represent part of comprehensive reforms initiated by the Home Secretary to address an overwhelmed asylum system.