From the end of November, the British Cabinet will begin placing illegal immigrants in military barracks.
According to The Times, citing sources in the Home Office, barracks at an army base near Inverness in Scotland and a military training camp in East Sussex in southern England will be used to house migrants. Up to 900 people are expected to be accommodated there. In total, the Home Office intends to temporarily house up to 10,000 illegal migrants in barracks.
According to the UK government's plan, this should reduce the burden on the budget and help to eliminate the costly accommodation of illegal immigrants in hotels. According to data from the British Home Office, as of March 2025, 32,000 illegal immigrants were housed in 210 hotels across the country.
A report by the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee states that Britain will spend £15.3 billion ($20.4 billion) over 10 years, from 2019 to 2029, on accommodating migrants in hotels.
According to the National Audit Office, plans to use former military bases to house illegal immigrants could cost the budget more than the current hotel rental scheme. The UK Cabinet has promised to stop housing migrants in hotels by 2029.
Earlier, Britain asked hotels to accommodate migrant criminals.