Keir Starmer Under Fire as Asylum Hotel Crisis Spirals Out of Control

Sir Keir Starmer’s promise to shut down asylum hotels is already under fire, just as another wave of migrants landed on British shores. David Bolt, the independent chief inspector of borders, didn’t hold back when addressing MPs at the Home Affairs Select Committee. When asked by Shadow Environment Minister Robbie Moore about Labour’s strategy, Bolt admitted he had little confidence in the plan.

“I’m not entirely clear what its strategy is,” he told MPs. “If it has one, it hasn’t articulated it in a way that I know what it stands for.” He warned that without a clear direction, Labour’s approach to asylum accommodation would suffer. The Government has shifted its focus from large asylum sites to smaller ones, but even that left Bolt questioning what the plan actually entails. “I’m not entirely sure exactly what that means,” he admitted, reported GB News.

Before taking power in 2024, Starmer’s Government pledged to shut down asylum hotels, a move meant to save billions of pounds. But in reality, Labour has opened more hotels than it has closed, a fact confirmed in November by Immigration Minister Dame Angela Eagle.

That’s fuelled accusations that Starmer has already broken his manifesto pledge. The Prime Minister had promised to scrap the costly accommodation sites, which are draining over £4.2 million a day from public funds.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper even set a deadline, saying the Government aimed to phase out the use of asylum hotels within a year of coming to power—giving Starmer just 107 days to deliver on his promise. But while Labour scrambles for a solution, the situation at the border continues to escalate.

Migrant crossings earlier this month saw a 20% rise compared to last year, with a staggering 592 people arriving on March 2 alone. Today, GB News reported that another 120 migrants had crossed the Channel, pushing the total number of arrivals in 2025 close to 4,500. With crossings continuing at a rapid pace, the Home Office has doubled down on its commitment to tackling illegal migration.

A spokesperson said: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security. “The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay. We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.”

But with migrant numbers rising and asylum hotel costs spiralling, Starmer’s Government faces growing pressure to prove it can deliver on its bold promises. The question remains—does it have a real strategy, or is it already losing control?