Britain will house 100,000 asylum seekers by the end of next year, government predicts

THE government predicts the UK will house 100,000 asylum seekers by the end of next year.

Latest figures show that there are 88,466 here, with 37,000 in hotels at a cost to taxpayers of £4.7million per day.

Home Office chiefs have released regional dispersal targets to ease costs.

But councils claim they have been given just six weeks to say how they will hit the targets — with one senior officer ­slamming Home Office management of the policy as “woeful”.

The new targets, imposed by Home Secretary Priti Patel, should reduce reliance on temporary and hotel-based accommodation, and place families in more suitable homes.

A government spokesman said: “The Home Office has been engaging and consulting with councils for months to agree a more equitable approach to asylum dispersal.

“Any suggestion otherwise is completely wrong.

“The huge increase in dangerous small boat crossings means the UK taxpayer is spending more than £5million a day accommodating asylum seekers in hotels which we must end.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The asylum accommodation system is under enormous pressure due to the huge increase in dangerous small boat crossings and illegal migration.

“We are committed to working in partnership with local authorities to create a fairer full dispersal model which helps end the unacceptable use of hotels and responds to changing demands.”