LONDON 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he wants to see asylum hotels “emptied” as quickly as possible, underlining that he is “completely at one” with local people who do not want them in their communities.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live from the Cabinet Room in Downing Street, Starmer did not provide an exact timeline but said he wanted to “bring forward” plans to end the policy by 2029.

Despite government promises to reduce reliance on temporary housing, 32,059 asylum seekers were staying in hotels across the country at the end of June, according to official data.

That figure is 8% higher than a year earlier, though slightly lower than the previous quarter and well below the peak of 56,042 in September 2023.

“I completely get it,” he said when asked how he would feel if a hotel housing asylum seekers were at the end of his street. “Local people, by and large, do not want these hotels in their towns, in their place, and nor do I. I’m completely at one with them on that.”

Starmer said he understood why people wanted the hotels closed, and he wanted that too “as quickly as possible.”

Asked to put a date on it, he reiterated his commitment to do so by the end of this Parliament.

When pressed that this was still four years away, he said he would like to bring that date forward, but did not commit to another deadline.

The remarks came after anti-immigrant protesters in west London attempted to enter hotels accommodating asylum seekers on Saturday.

The incidents took place after the UK government won a legal challenge to overturn a temporary injunction that would have blocked asylum seekers from being housed at the hotel.

Despite the Court of Appeal decision, at least 13 other councils are reportedly considering legal action over the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers, according to The Times.

The prime minister insisted that the only way to empty the hotels was through an “orderly, systematic” process of working through asylum cases quickly, and returning people who should not be in the UK.

“I want to see every single asylum hotel closed,” he said.

On small boat crossings, Starmer said the issue was “really serious” and one he was “determined” to deal with.

- Reform UK party feeds on grievance

Asked about far-right figure Nigel Farage and Reform UK’s influence, he said they “feed on grievance” and “don’t want the problem solved”, accusing them of putting forward “unworkable, fanciful ideas.”

The interview comes just hours after a reshuffle at No 10, in which Darren Jones was appointed as chief secretary to the prime minister.

Starmer said the new role would help him focus on pushing policies through, describing delivery as the “absolute key word.”

Marking a year since his victory speech in Downing Street, Starmer acknowledged that some people may feel frustrated with the pace of change.

He said his government’s first year had been spent “fixing the foundations” and “doing the hard yards,” but that it was now moving into “phase two,” focused on “delivery, delivery, delivery.”

Today’s changes, he added, would make the center of government “more powerful” and allow him to drive through reforms.