A contractor working at asylum accommodation facilities has raised urgent concerns about people routinely leaving hotels unmonitored, calling the situation “terrifying” as the government pledges stricter immigration controls.

The worker, who operates across several asylum hotels in one English region and requested anonymity, revealed that disappearances occur with alarming regularity. When residents have been absent for approximately seven days, they’re officially classified as absconders. At that point, the Home Office receives notification, but the individual is simply recorded as having departed the premises.

“This happens at least once a week, though often it’s every single day,” the contractor explained.

The Scale of the Challenge

These revelations come as the government announced plans last month to overhaul immigration policy with tougher measures for asylum applicants. Current data through September shows over 36,000 asylum seekers housed in hotels, while total asylum claims in the UK reached 110,000 between September 2024 and September 2025—surpassing the previous 2002 record of 103,000.

The contractor also detailed procedures following asylum rejections, which he finds inadequate. Residents receive departure deadlines, but rather than immigration enforcement collecting them from the hotels, many simply leave on their own.

“You’d assume they wouldn’t even be informed about their rejection—that officers would arrive to collect them. That’s not what happens,” he said.

An Underground Existence

The contractor expressed concern for both public safety and the asylum seekers themselves, who suddenly find themselves without addresses or legal status.

“It must be frightening for them too. Where do they go? How do they eat? Are they pushed into illegal activities? They become completely invisible in society,” he said. “Having these individuals wandering our streets untracked and unverified is deeply troubling.”

Government Response

A Home Office representative defended current practices, stating the government plans to eliminate hotel usage and has implemented significant asylum system reforms. These include increased removals of those without legal residency rights and addressing factors that attract undocumented migrants initially.

The spokesperson noted nearly 50,000 unauthorized residents have been removed, with enforcement actions against illegal employment at unprecedented levels. A specialized Home Office unit collaborates with police and private sector partners to locate absconders, and failing to return to assigned accommodation can result in withdrawn asylum claims and support.

Community Perspectives

At a Greater Manchester community kitchen, organizers regularly encounter individuals living below official oversight, often working informal cash-based jobs. Volunteer Shabana Yunas assists many struggling people while observing community tensions.

“Residents are understandably anxious about unknown individuals in their neighborhoods. If we had proper monitoring systems, everyone would feel more secure,” Yunas said. “When people enter the UK and then vanish without documentation, we risk increased crime, modern slavery, and child exploitation.”

She added that many avoid authorities due to deportation fears to potentially dangerous home countries.

“The situation is deteriorating and dangerous. We urgently need solutions that provide genuine support,” Yunas emphasized.

Among the kitchen’s volunteers is Khalid, who reached the UK from Ethiopia in 2015 by hiding in a lorry—himself familiar with the desperation driving such dangerous journeys.