No asylum seekers housed in Fife hotels, new survey reveals

A refugee charity has said hotels should never be used to house asylum seekers, warning it leaves vulnerable people isolated and at risk of being targeted by the far-right.

Hotels housing asylum seekers were subject to protests and violence this summer, as far-right protesters took to the streets for days of rioting. This was met with counter-protests by anti-racism groups and swift prosecutions through the courts.

Home Office figures show the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels has dropped 41% across the UK, from 50,500 in June 2023 to 29,600 at the same point this year.

Despite this, the figures further show no asylum seekers were being housed in hotels in Fife in June – the same as a year earlier.

Imran Hussain, executive director of external affairs at the Refugee Council, said: "Hotels should never be used as accommodation, as people in asylum hotels are isolated, struggle with their mental health, and may be targeted by far-right attacks, as we saw a few weeks ago."