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New figures don't cover any of Andy Burnham's tenure, which started on July 20

Asylum seekers who have been dispersed across Britain have surged, new immigration data released by the Home Office has revealed.

Over 73,000 migrants were housed in "non-hotel accommodation" in the 12 months leading up to June 2026.

The figure is 3 per cent higher than at the end of June 2025.

New figures don't cover any of Andy Burnham's tenure, which started on July 20.

Around 17 per cent of asylum seekers remain in hotel accommodation.

This figure is nearly half of what it was a year earlier, as Labour continues to disperse them around Britain in HMOs and former military sites.

Labour has vowed to end the use of hotels as asylum accommodation by the end of this parliament in 2029.

At the end of June 2026, 744 people were in Wethersfield, Braintree, and 418 people were in Crowborough Training Camp, Wealden.

The housing of hundreds of male asylum seekers in these sites has sparked significant local and national outrage, protests, and political backlash.

Labour has since announced it is extending the duration and capacity of both asylum accommodations.

Wealden District Council strongly opposed the scheme, criticising the Labour government for a severe lack of local consultation and an initial "information vacuum" that heightened community tensions.

Local resident groups, such as Crowborough Shield, launched legal actions and High Court challenges arguing that using the military site under emergency planning powers was unlawful.

A resident of Crowborough, Andrew Tuck, has also accused the Labour Government of "tearing the fabric of this country apart" on GB News with its handling of Britain's migrant crisis.

Other locals of the rural area have vowed to "not give up the fight" and said their town was being treated "appallingly" by the Labour Government.

Resident Marmaduke Devereaux-Astley hit out at how the community has been "thrown to the wolves".

He added: "This Government have thrown us to the wolves. No one's going to come and save us, no one's coming to help us. We are having to fight back in a David and Goliath battle against this Government because they've treated us appallingly."

A Braintree resident, Michelle Lee, echoed a similar view, adding that their community has been "lied to" and argued that Britain is becoming a "third-world cesspit".

She urged Labour to deport illegal migrants rather than house them in communities.

Today's figures also revealed the total number of asylum claims was 86,000, a drop of 21 per cent compared with the previous year.

Over half of asylum seekers coming to Britain arrived through illegal entry routes.

A further 41 per cent of claimants had previously held a visa or other leave.

Small-boat arrivals account for nearly 90 per cent of illegal entries.

Of those arriving on small boats, the government says the five most common nationalities are Eritrean, Sudanese, Afghan, Somali and Iranian.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "A little over two years into office and the asylum backlog is down, the number of asylum seekers in hotels is falling, illegal working arrests are at record levels, and deportations and returns are up markedly.

"Small boats numbers are also now falling, but we are not complacent and there is more we must do.

"That is why I have boosted enforcement on the French beaches and overseas and introduced new legislation to tackle the pull factors that draw people here through unsafe and illegal routes.

"This government is restoring control at our border and fairness to the migration system."