A Mail on Sunday investigation has revealed alarming levels of crime among migrants housed in taxpayer-funded hotels across Britain. Court data shows at least 312 asylum seekers have been charged with a total of 708 alleged offences over the past three years. The charges range from rape and sexual assault to attacks on emergency workers and theft.
Analysis of court records tied to 70 of the 220 hotels hosting around 32,000 asylum seekers—and an additional 66,000 housed in private residences—uncovers a disturbing trend. Alleged offences include 18 counts of rape, five attempted rapes, 35 sexual assaults, and 51 thefts. Other serious charges include 89 assaults (27 against police or emergency personnel), 43 drug offences, 18 burglaries, and 16 robberies.
Individual incidents highlight the severity:
- A migrant sexually assaulted a vulnerable teenage girl in daylight, receiving a 14-month sentence.
- A 20-year-old woman was raped in Oxford by a migrant staying at a nearby hotel.
- Over 90 charges were filed against migrants at a central London hotel, including arson.
- In Bournemouth, 116 charges were brought against 51 asylum seekers across three seafront hotels.
- A migrant in Primrose Hill was convicted of assaulting two female and one male police officer.
Specific cases include Sudanese asylum seeker Ayman Adam, jailed for seven years after attempting to rape a woman in a nightclub bathroom, and Khaliz Alshimery, a migrant at an Oxford hotel sentenced to 12 years for rape and multiple sexual assaults. Rabie Knissi, residing in Portsmouth, was jailed for 10 years for an attempted rape and assault.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called the findings “shocking” and demanded the immediate deportation of illegal immigrants upon arrival. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick described the situation as a national security emergency, advocating for detention rather than hotel placement. Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed Labour intends to end migrant hotel use by July 2029.
Home Office officials countered that deportations of foreign offenders are up 14% since the last election and said measures under the Border Security Bill will strip asylum claims from those convicted of sex crimes. However, many critics argue current hotel housing policies pose public safety risks and demand stricter enforcement.
