Twelve Reform UK council leaders have accused the Government of creating a “them and us” divide by earmarking entire streets and blocks of new housing exclusively for asylum seekers and illegal migrants under its £500 million “Operation Scatter” scheme.
The initiative, intended to replace 210 migrant hotels with a “sustainable accommodation model,” has been concentrated in deprived areas of Kent, with critics warning it is displacing local people, driving up housing demand, and putting further strain on public services. They allege that landlords are marketing properties directly to the Home Office, bypassing local housing needs.
The Government says the move, which has reduced hotel use by half since its peak, will ultimately ease housing market pressures and leave a “lasting legacy” of accommodation for local communities.
However, critics, including Reform MP Sarah Pochin and Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, accuse ministers of rewarding illegal immigration while millions wait for social housing. In Bolton, the number of houses of multiple occupancy has quadrupled in recent years, fuelling tensions. The Home Office insists it is working closely with councils and will end the use of asylum hotels entirely by the end of this Parliament.
