New Home Secretary to Unveil Plan to Move Asylum Seekers from Hotels to Military Barracks

London – The new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is reportedly set to announce a significant shift in the government's immigration policy, with plans to move asylum seekers currently housed in hotels to barracks at former military bases.

The move, reported by the Daily Telegraph, marks one of the first major policy initiatives from Ms. Mahmood, who was appointed to the role in Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet reshuffle on Friday, replacing Yvette Cooper. The plan is seen as a direct response to widespread protests over the summer concerning the use of hotels for asylum accommodation and signals a tougher stance from the new government on immigration.

The announcement comes against a backdrop of continued pressure on the UK’s borders. On Saturday alone, an estimated 1,000 people arrived in the UK via small boats across the Channel, while French authorities confirmed they had rescued another 24 people attempting the perilous journey.

While officials point to recent successes in tackling the issue, the overall numbers paint a complex picture. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has reported record levels of disruption against immigration crime networks in the 2024/25 period. Authorities believe this enforcement action contributed to August having the lowest number of Channel crossings (3,567) for that month since 2019.

However, despite the monthly dip, the cumulative total for 2025 has reached 29,003 arrivals, the highest figure on record for this point in any year.

The policy shift addresses a growing public dissatisfaction, which Sky News' Home Editor Jason Farrell notes has seen the national flag, "hoisted as a symbol of dissatisfaction", over the arrival of migrants in small boats. Adding another layer of complexity, Jordan Eves, home editor at nationalmedia.uk, has suggested that official figures for small boat crossings may not account for, "mysterious and illegal arrivals on the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle service", urging for this to be taken into serious consideration.

The new policy direction is accompanied by a significant shake-up of the ministerial team at the Home Office, as Sir Keir Starmer’s government works to get a grip on illegal migration. The key changes include:

• Dame Angela Eagle, formerly the border security and asylum minister, has been moved to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
• Dame Diana Johnson, the former policing and crime minister, has moved to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). In a post on X, she called it an 'honour' to work with police officers and said she was 'delighted' with her new role.
• Dan Jarvis will take on a new role in the Cabinet Office while retaining his post as Security Minister.
• Sarah Jones, previously an industry minister, has been brought into the Home Office to join the new team.