Asylum seekers could be made homeless if they refuse Home Office demands to move accommodation, the Government has warned.
In a bid to stop migrants rejecting alternative housing without a valid reason, ministers will bring in new rules to tackle non-compliance.
A ‘Failure to Travel’ policy will ensure illegal migrants who are moved from hotels to other ‘suitable’ accommodation must take it.
If they refuse they could lose their housing and support, the Home Office said.
Around 100 asylum seekers refuse to move accommodation each week, the Mail understands, and ministers currently have no powers to force them.
Under the Conservatives, the Government threatened to remove housing and support from those who refused to move to the Bibby Stockholm barge, which is no longer in use.
Labour’s new plan will mirror the Tory rules, but will be applied more widely to other forms of accommodation.
The ‘firm but fair’ policy is part of the Government’s drive to end the use of expensive hotels to house asylum seekers.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has vowed to put a stop to the practice by 2029 – in a move she says will save £1billion a year.
Currently, taxpayers are forking out £5.7million per day to house asylum seekers in hotels – at an average cost of £118.87 per person per night.
Other accommodation, such as shared houses, is estimated to cost just £15 per night.
Ministers are looking to buy tower blocks and former student accommodation to house migrants in a bid to reduce the hotel bill.
More than 106,000 asylum seekers were in receipt of taxpayer-funded support as of March this year, including 32,000 in hotels.
Asylum seekers are given free accommodation and a weekly allowance if the Home Office believes they would otherwise be destitute.
The majority of those arriving on small boats qualify.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: ‘We inherited an asylum system on the brink of collapse – mismanaged, under strain, and costing the public a fortune. We are getting a grip.
‘We are working to close hotels, restore order, and put fairness and value for money at the heart of our asylum system. This government is making those necessary decisions to protect the taxpayer and uphold the integrity of our borders.
‘These reforms to the Failure to Travel policy are another example of this government’s action to transform the asylum accommodation system and crack down on those who abuse our system, so it operates fairly and saves the taxpayer money.’
The Mail this week reported how asylum seekers are using taxpayer handouts to fund their gambling habits.
Home Office data, released to the PoliticsHome website, showed pre-paid cards given out to pay for basics including food and clothing are being used in gambling venues such as bookmakers, amusement arcades and even casinos.
In the last year, up to 6,537 asylum seekers have used the government-issued cards at least once for gambling.
