A private contractor working for the Home Office reportedly launched an event to find landlords to house asylum seekers. Serco, one of three companies working for the Government department, is offering landlords a five-year guaranteed full rent deal to house asylum seekers at the cost of the taxpayer.
It comes amid a rise in Channel migrant crossings. Earlier this month, more than 700 crossed the Channel in 12 boats - a new record for 2025. Serco's website is "calling all landlords" and states the company is responsible for more than 30,000 asylum seekers across more than 7,000 homes.
"Serco provides asylum accommodation and support services in the North West of England, Midlands and East of England," it says on its website.
"Our purpose is the provision of accommodation, transportation and subsistence payments for asylum seekers whilst their claims are being processed.
"We are responsible for over 30,000 asylum seekers in an ever growing portfolio of more than 7000 properties. Our operating model is based on leasing properties from a wide network of landlords, investors and agents with Serco acting as a Tenant."
It goes on to say: "We want to work with you and will consider all types of properties in the North West, Midlands or East of England.
"These include traditional HMO’s, family property, former carehome, residential and student accommodation."
The Telegraph says landlords were invited to a Serco event at a hotel in the Malvern Hills next month, with the contractor saying it was "looking for" landlords, investors and agents in the areas mentioned above.
The Serco website page also says: "We are confident that our lease provision offers an attractive and competitive proposition within the industry."
A Home Office spokesman said: “These arrangements with the private rented sector have been in place for years, including under the previous government. We have a statutory duty to support destitute asylum seekers who will not be able to pay for fees such as utilities and council tax.
“We are restoring order to the asylum system and cutting costs to taxpayers by reducing the number of people we are required to accommodate through a rapid increase in asylum decision-making and the removal of more than 24,000 people with no right to be in the UK.”
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp told The Telegraph that the news "lays bare Labour's shameful failures".
He said: "Because they have let in record numbers of illegal immigrants so far this year, via Serco the Government is offering better than market terms to landlords to house them.
“This is taking away homes that hard-working tax-paying Britons who are struggling to find a place to rent need. Labour is once again giving a better deal to illegal immigrants than people who have lived, worked and paid tax here all their lives. These illegal immigrants should have been sent to Rwanda, not put up in nice flats.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “These arrangements with the private rented sector have been in place for years, including under the previous government. We have a statutory duty to support destitute asylum seekers who will not be able to pay for fees such as utilities and council tax.
“We are restoring order to the asylum system and cutting costs to taxpayers by reducing the number of people we are required to accommodate through a rapid increase in asylum decision-making and the removal of more than 24,000 people with no right to be in the UK.”
A Labour source hit out at Mr Philp's comments, telling The Telegraph: “It’s worth reminding the shadow home secretary that this has happened since 1999. This includes all of his tenure in the Home Office and the last 14 years of the Tory government.
“He well knows that Labour inherited a system in complete chaos – he had stopped making decisions and left people stranded, so more hotels were needed. Instead of harping from the sidelines, he should reflect on his mistakes.”
Serco declined to comment and the publication said the Home Office has now cancelled the event at the hotel.
