The UK government is poised to take a dramatic new approach in its ongoing struggle to manage the rising numbers of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel in small boats. Following a significant spike in arrivals—1,097 people made the journey on a single day, September 6, 2025—Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed that ministers are now seriously considering the use of military barracks and other non-traditional sites to house migrants while their asylum claims are processed. This move comes as Labour, still settling into its new leadership lineup after a major cabinet reshuffle, faces mounting pressure to address both the humanitarian and political challenges of migration.
Speaking on Sunday with Trevor Phillips, Healey outlined the government’s thinking: "We are looking at the potential use of military and non-military sites for temporary accommodation for the people who come across on these small boats that may not have a right to be here. I'm looking really hard at it. I'm looking at it with the Home Office, and I recognise that the loss of confidence of the public over recent years in Britain's ability to control its borders needs to be satisfied. And we have to deal with this problem with the small boats," he told Sky News.
The urgency is underscored by the numbers. According to official Home Office figures, 29,003 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far in 2025, the highest on record for this point in the year. While August saw the lowest monthly arrivals since 2019, with 3,567 crossings, the surge in early September has reignited debate over how best to house and process those seeking asylum in the UK.
Currently, just over 32,000 asylum seekers are being accommodated in hotels, which represents about a third of all taxpayer-funded asylum housing. The use of hotels has mushroomed since around 2020, with contracts now valued at £15.3 billion over a decade, according to BBC. This practice has sparked widespread protests across the country, with local communities and anti-migrant groups alike expressing frustration at the strain on local services and the perceived lack of consultation.
Labour’s plan is to accelerate the transition away from hotels, which have become lightning rods for public anger. The government is reportedly preparing to close dozens of these facilities in the coming months. Newly-appointed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who took over from Yvette Cooper on September 5, is expected to unveil concrete proposals within weeks that would see more asylum seekers housed in military barracks and other Ministry of Defence sites. According to ITV News, a government source said, “nothing is off the table” as Mahmood assumes her new portfolio overseeing borders and asylum policy.
Two sites—MDP Wethersfield in Essex and Napier Barracks in Kent—are already in use for this purpose, having been opened under the previous Conservative government. The Labour administration has indicated it will increase the number of migrants housed at Wethersfield and keep Napier Barracks open longer than initially planned. Meanwhile, plans to use RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire were shelved due to concerns over value for money, with Labour arguing the proposal failed to deliver for taxpayers.
Healey emphasized the cross-departmental nature of the effort, saying on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, “What you are seeing from Keir Starmer now is this isn't just a job for the Home Office, it's an all of government effort.” Military planners are working closely with the Home Office to draw up a list of potential new sites, though no final decisions have been announced.
In addition to military barracks, officials are exploring the use of prefabricated buildings and warehouses on industrial land for temporary accommodation. Downing Street has confirmed that these modular structures are under active consideration, as the government seeks solutions that are “basic but not punitive.” Reform UK, a party pushing for a harder line on migration, has proposed building 15 to 25 purpose-built detention centres in remote areas, featuring prefabricated two-person rooms, on-site medical facilities, and canteens. Zia Yusuf, head of policy at Reform UK, told Sky News, “They're not shipping containers, they're purpose-built modular steel structures.”
The political context is fraught. Labour’s decision to scrap the previous government’s controversial Rwanda deportation policy and shut down the Bibby Stockholm barge has drawn sharp criticism from the Conservatives, who claim these measures have emboldened more migrants to attempt the dangerous Channel crossing. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch argued on BBC that Prime Minister Keir Starmer “had no plan in place” to replace the deterrent effect of the Rwanda plan. Reform UK has gone further, suggesting it could deport 600,000 people within five years if it takes power.
Yet, the data tells a more nuanced story. The National Crime Agency has reported record levels of disruption to immigration crime networks in 2024/25, which officials believe contributed to the recent lull in crossings—no arrivals were recorded between August 30 and September 5. Still, the overall numbers for 2025 remain at historic highs, and the underlying asylum system is widely regarded as slow and broken. Sky News’ political correspondent Liz Bates observed that, despite Labour’s shake-up and new faces at the Home Office, ministers are “hitting up against many of the same problems” as their predecessors.
The reshuffle itself has been extensive. Alongside Mahmood’s appointment as Home Secretary, Dame Angela Eagle has moved from border security and asylum to the environment department, Dame Diana Johnson has shifted to the Department for Work and Pensions, and Dan Jarvis has taken on a Cabinet Office role in addition to his Home Office post. Former industry minister Sarah Jones is now policing minister, and new faces like Mike Tapp and Alex Norris have joined Mahmood’s team. Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones has insisted that the government is not in crisis, telling ITV News that Starmer now has the “strongest team” around the Cabinet table following Angela Rayner’s resignation.
Meanwhile, the government’s more assertive stance on migration is mirrored in other policy areas. Mahmood has signaled a willingness to consider human rights reform within domestic law, and Healey has pledged that she will be “just as tough” as her predecessor on groups like Palestine Action, recently proscribed as a terror organization. On Saturday, more than 425 people were arrested at a protest by the group’s supporters in London, highlighting the broader tensions surrounding security and civil liberties.
As the government weighs its next steps, the stakes are high. The challenge is not only logistical—finding enough beds and safe, humane accommodation for thousands of new arrivals—but also political, as Labour seeks to reassure a skeptical public that it has a credible, compassionate, and effective plan to manage migration. The coming weeks are likely to bring further announcements and, no doubt, more debate as the UK grapples with one of the most contentious issues of the moment.
For now, all eyes are on Shabana Mahmood and her team at the Home Office, as they attempt to chart a new course through the turbulent waters of Britain’s asylum system.
